Random Thoughts of a Midnight Mind

When in the Course...

2011-07-03T16:16:00.001-04:00

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government...

These are the words that started it all.

The greatest experiment that mankind had ever undertaken when it came to government.

It was a leap of faith that succeeded far beyond anyone's imagining.

They are words that are still important, still ring true.

They must be respected. They must be protected.

Happy 235th birthday, America.

Balance...

2011-02-08T00:42:00.000-05:00

How do you find balance in life these days?

I don't seem to be doing a very good job of it at all.

I let too much get to me; I obsess over things I have no control over.

How do I find a balance that will allow me to remain passionate about things without letting them consume my life?

Unplug?
Turn Off?
Tune Out?

Hmmmm...

What's it all about, Alfie?

2011-02-07T02:58:00.000-05:00

This isn't about music... old song title aside.

I'm actually pondering life tonight.

What's it all about?

Are we here to get ours and the heck with everyone else?

If you watch TV you'd come away thinking that. Television pushes greed, sex, and violence... and then seems shocked when people buy into the concept.

Are we here to learn something, a lesson our souls need to learn before moving on to whatever comes next?

I don't know but I've got to wonder about what my life says about what I need to learn.

Sometimes I feel like I've been plunked down in the middle of an alien landscape and I don't understand those creatures around me, nor am I sure I want to understand.

Is there a grand plan at work here? Or are we, as so many people seem to believe, victims of random chance, going through meaningless motions that end up in the dead end of a grave?

Again, I have no answers, simply questions.

Perhaps we're here to do as Jesus suggested - love one another. Care for each other.

I don't know... but if I could choose which reality is the truth, it'd be the last one.

Time to blow the dust off?

2010-02-04T03:10:00.000-05:00

I haven't been here much lately. My mind has been taken up by other things, I guess.

But tonight, I find myself pondering the perfect random thought:

How do you know you've made an impression in anyone's life?

It's a question I find myself wondering about more and more lately. Have I made a difference to anyone? Family, which is important, doesn't count. Family is an act of God; it isn't something we actually do something about.

I'm talking about someone other than family.

I sometimes feel like any impression I've made here will vanish with me, that nothing will be left behind.

Strange thoughts, but there you go.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T00:26:00.001-05:00

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Remembering the reason...

May you all have a joyous Christmas

September 11th

2009-09-11T01:29:00.002-04:00

Before and after.

The day that changed our country, forever.

Photos from Digital Journalist

A Tribute Well Deserved

2009-09-04T18:25:00.002-04:00

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land...

It is a simple verse from the King James version of The Holy Bible. You can find it in the Song of Solomon, Chapter 2, verse 12.

It was with those simple words each spring that Ernie Harwell welcomed both spring and the boys of summer, the Detroit Tigers, back into my life.

I was nine years old when my love affair with the Tigers began. My mother was a fan and we were out at our cabin without television, the radio would always be tuned to the Tigers game, long before I was nine, of course.

When I was nine, the Detroit Tigers became world champions and I heard... something on that radio that caught my attention.

I heard Ernie Harell. With his trademark phrases - "He stood there like the house by the side of the road" and "It's looonnnnggg gone!" and my favorite "A man from Flint will take that one home" - he brought an easy charm, an easy grace, and a perfection to the games that most broadcasters can only hope to reach. He would blend a lifetime of stories in with the actual call of the game seamlessly and you would come away not only knowing who'd won but more about the history and the players than when the broadcast had started.

I look back on my childhood now and Ernie Harwell is there.

He was the voice on the radio that would tell me everything was all right.

Now, at 91, this gentle, charming man has announced he has cancer. There will be no treatment. He may be with us for another year, perhaps not that much.

I know that he will face this with the same faith and courage he showed throughout his life. And he will teach us something about dignity, acceptance, and grace. He's that kind of man.

I've never met him but he is a member of my family. He is a much beloved member of my family and this news has already saddened me more than I can say.

I won't think of the future right now. I will simply think of the past, of those golden days of my childhood when Ernie was on the radio and all was right with my world.

Thank you, Ernie.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Reflections on the Fourth

2009-07-05T00:05:00.000-04:00

Two Hundred and Thirty-Three Years.

When the Continental Congress emerged from that earth-shaking vote, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin: What have you given us? Franklin replied: A Republic, if you can keep it.

If we can keep it.

I worked 16 hours today but still managed to watch some of the fireworks. The university where I work is on a hill that overlooks the river, where the fireworks are staged. It's a good vantage point.

As I watched the fireworks and listened to the oohs and ahhs, I found myself thinking about Dr. Franklin.

A Republic, if we can keep it.

God, please, do not let us fail to do so.

The Lone Survivor

2009-06-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Marcus Luttrell isn't an average guy.

He started training to be a Navy SEAL when he was 14.

He joined the Navy in 1999 and became a SEAL

In 2005, was sent to Afghanistan.

On June 28, 2005, Marcus and SEAL team 10 were sent on a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (nom de guerre Mohammad Ismail), a high-ranking Taliban leader responsible for killings in eastern Afghanistan and the Hindu-Kush mountain. They were, instead, betrayed by a group of goat herders they let go.

They fought a superior force of anywhere from 40 to 140 Taliban fighters. Luttrell was the lone survivor of the group and managed to survive six days before he was rescued.

Luttrell was in the news recently when four thugs killed his dog, DASY. She had been given to him to help with his rehabilitation. Luttrell chased the four vermin until police caught up with them. As the thugs were lying on the ground, one of them was taunting Luttrell about his dog. I'm sure Luttrell wanted to do more than turn them over to the cops.

That's all part of what makes him a hero.

If you haven't read his book, "Lone Survivor", you should.

Quotations on Heroes

2009-06-18T12:29:00.000-04:00

~ A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. ~
Joseph Campbell

~ It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes. ~
Louis Kossuth

~ A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. ~
Christopher Reeve

~ The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. ~
Felix Adler

~ Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart. ~
Proverb

~ Who is a hero? He who conquers his urges ~
The Talmud

Anti-heroes

2009-06-17T20:12:00.003-04:00

You know who I mean.

The ones who do nothing. They stand by in dismay but they don't lift a finger to help. Their lives, it seems, are too important to risk.

And yes, I hold them in complete and utter contempt.

Here's an example:

GARY, Ind. (CBS) ―

A 26-year-old convenience store clerk was shot and killed in broad daylight in Gary, Ind., and police say witnesses stood by and did nothing. CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports there are critical clues that may help crack the case.

Lessons from my Father

2009-06-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~ Clarence Budington Kelland

He's been gone for 32 years. A lifetime. A second.

Today would've been his 97th birthday.

He was a kind, generous man.

He loved his family and gave us a life that was good.

He didn't have much and worked hard for what he had.

He loved our mother.

He loved his children.

He wasn't perfect.

But, he was a strong, compassionate, caring man who did so many things for so many people simply because it was what needed to be done. He did the right thing without expecting a reward and he expected us to do the same.

If there is a better definition of a hero, I don't know.

Ronald Wilson Reagan

2009-06-14T11:29:00.001-04:00

If I have a hero, other than my parents, it was this man. He took charge of a country caught in difficult economic times and a sickness of heart and spirit that had people believing America's best days were over.

He would have none of it. He believed America's best days were yet to come.

We need his spirit now.

******

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.

***

Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.

***

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

***

The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

***

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'

***

The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas-a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.

***

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.

Ronald Wilson Reagan

February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004

Heroes: The United States Army

2009-06-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

Again, nothing more needs to be said

Heroes: The United States Navy

2009-06-12T08:35:00.000-04:00

One more time.

The hero of the moment

2009-06-11T06:30:00.000-04:00

Another man who surely didn't think he would be called on to do anything heroic today.

Life is like that.

Heroes are born of a single moment in time.

This moment belonged to 39-year-old Stephen T. Johns of Temple Hills, Maryland. He was a six-year veteran of the museum, working as a special police officer.

There will be little that can make sense of his death.

But, as director Sara Bloomfield says, he "died heroically in the line of duty."

I pray that his family finds a tiny bit of peace in that.

He probably didn't know he was a hero...

2009-06-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

For Pennsylvania Trooper Joshua Miller, 34, it was all part of his job. He probably had no idea what lay in store for him.

If he had, would he still have done it?

Trooper Miller and Trooper Robert Lombardo, 35, were just doing their jobs when they became involved in a chase. After arguing with his estranged wife during a custody exchange, Daniel Autenrieth kidnapped his son at gunpoint, then led police on a 40-mile high-speed chase.

The chase ended with Lombardo injured and Miller, a former Marine, dead.

Given a moment of prescient awareness, would Miller still have done what he did?

Anyone who knows police officers, and United States Marines knows the answer to that question.

It is yes.

After all, he was 'just doing his job'.

Heroes: The United States Marine Corps

2009-06-09T07:49:00.001-04:00

What more needs to be said?

Heads or Tails 12

2009-06-09T07:35:00.002-04:00

The theme/prompt for THIS week, June 9, is:

HEADS - "Tune"

Make any kind of post using the theme/prompt "Tune."

Gotta go with the obvious here, as in music.

But, I want to talk about those tunes that get inside your head and rattle around for days. You know the ones I mean. They're the ones that, when someone mentions a few words or sings a couple of bars your mind yells "Hoo-ray" and runs with it. They stick no matter what you do. The absolute worse thing about it is the fact that you never know what song will trigger it. All it takes is catching part of a tune on the radio and that's it - you're doomed to walking around singing...

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)

There's just something about that coo, coo, ca-choo, wo, wo, wo stuff...

And so I'm not responsible for doing such a thing to you, here's the entire song:

And I'll leave you with one more song - but fair warning! This one gets stuck in my head like you wouldn't believe!

Eulogy for a Ball Park

2009-06-08T20:25:00.001-04:00

She will live forever in my memory as that first moment I glimpse her fabled field. A moment frozen in time. Such a lush carpet of green dotted by men in snow white uniforms bearing an old English "D"... Everything had a slightly surreal feel to it that day. I couldn't believe I was there. I was at "The Corner", Tiger Stadium.

For 100 years they played there. The greats of the game and the not so greats. Spectacular plays and not so spectacular ones. Championships and celler-dwellers. The Corner saw them all: Ty Cobb. Charlie Gehringer. Hank Greenberg. Al Kaline. Alan Trammel. Lou Whittaker. Kirk Gibson.

The Corner was the place where, on May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrig took himself out of the New York line up, ending his Iron Horse streak of 2,130 consecutive games. It was a streak that would last until Cal Ripken broke it 56 years later. The Tigers faithful gave Lou a standing ovation that day.

It was the place my mother and I traveled to at least once a summer, two Tigers fans drawn to it like moths to a flame. It was the place where hot dogs tasted better and a summer's night was never as grand as at The Corner.

It was the place of dreams and it was the place where those dreams sometimes died, unfulfilled. It was the place that helped draw a fractured city back together and heal wounds. It was a place where, for me, history became a palpable thing, living in every corner of the grand old place. It was everything I had hoped it would be back on that first day I saw it.

It was my 'Field of Dreams' and I will miss it.

The Corner will never be the same.

Quotations on Heroes...

2009-06-08T09:04:00.000-04:00

Here's a few quotes on what others think heroes are:

To be a hero or a heroine, one must give an order to oneself.
Simone Weil

To be a hero or a heroine, one must give an order to oneself.
Simone Weil

Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They're just braver five minutes longer.
Ronald Reagan

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.
Arthur Ashe

Time makes heroes but dissolves celebrities.
Daniel J. Boorstin

There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.
Alexander Hamilton

What is a Hero?

2009-06-07T08:33:00.001-04:00

We all have heroes. Or, maybe that should read - we all should have heroes.

But, is the definition of a hero universal? Do we all consider things from the same viewpoint?

That answer, of course, is no.

There are national heroes, of course. The ones who are put on a national stage by design or by circumstance; the soldiers, the police officers, the astronauts... they are the ones who receive the accolades and the attention of an entire nation. That attention is justified and it's a good thing.

But... there is another kind of hero, the kind that doesn't get noticed by anyone, sometimes not even by the very people who should notice.

These are the every day heroes.

The father or mother who get up and go to work every day because they have a family to take care of.

The next door neighbor who notices something that is lacking or needed and provides it without asking for anything in return.

The person who donates time from their all ready too hectic day to help others - volunteers of all shapes and sizes.

The every day hero is the person who, if only for a moment, takes the time to think not only of themselves, but of others. They hold doors open, they offer a helping hand, they try in some small way to make a small difference in someone else's day.

These are the heroes we need to see.

Thees are the heroes we need to be.

June 6, 1944

2009-06-06T10:30:00.001-04:00

D Day.

The Normandie Invasion.

Gold, Juno, Utah, Sword, Omaha

Beaches forever etched in history.

Pointe du Hoc

Take a moment to watch the video above. Look at the faces of the men. They knew what awaited them. They knew what their odds were. They knew what they were facing.

But...

They also knew it had to be done.

As Ronald Reagan said in a speech he gave at Pointe du Hoc in 1984. D Day was 40 years past but the memories, the valor of those who fought had not been forgotten:

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

They were a generation of heroes.

There are fire fighters and then there are fire fighters...

2009-06-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have the utmost respect for fire fighters, wherever they work. Running into a burning building to save people deserves respect.

But, there's a breed of fire fighter that stands out from the crowd. At least in my opinion. They are the one who fight wildland fires.

They are different fires and need a different type of fire fighter. They need someone unafraid to walk literally into the belly of the beast and fight, hand-to-hand if necessary.

They fight a foe that can surround them at a moment's notice, some times jumping into the middle of an inferno.

Their opponent rarely fights fair, chosing to attack from behind, above, carried on the winds themselves.

They fight to protect nature itself and their battles often go unnoticed. So, for today, I choose to notice them.

Heroes one and all.

A Fallen Hero

2009-06-04T09:19:00.003-04:00

Police dogs are expendable.

It's a hard truth, especially for their handlers but it is the truth. The whole point of a K-9 is the ability to send the dog into situations that have been deemed too dangerous for a human officer. The dogs do as they're asked. They go into dark buildings in the middle of the night to find the bad guys. They charge after the bad guys when they're running away. They do whatever they're asked to do simply because they want to please their person.

The dog above is Sirius.

He served the people of New York as a bomb detection dog for the Port Authority. On September 11, 2001, his handler David Lim left him in his kennel in the basement of the World Trade Center. Lim felt the dog would be safer there as he went off to help with rescue efforts. He told his partner and his friend he'd be back to get him.

Lim spent several hours trapped in the falling debris.

Sirius was killed when the towers collapsed.

On January 22, 2002 when his body was recovered, Sirius was given the same honors as the human fire fighters and police officers who had fallen in the tragedy. All search efforts were stopped. The huge machines fell silent and those on the site lined up to pay respects as Sirius's body was carried out draped by an American flag. Officer David Lim was there; he kept his promise to his friend.

They are supposed to be disposable. They are supposed to go willingly into trouble when it is deemed to risky to send in a person.

Clearly, that is not the case.

They are much, much more.

Clearly they are heroes.

My personal heroes...

2009-06-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

While I recognize the need for those 'bigger-than-life' heroes in this world, I have never gone looking for them. I admire people who do heroic things but again, I do not go looking for them to admire and imitate.

My heroes have always been personal ones, the ones I didn't have to go looking for. They lived in the same house that I did.

My heroes are my parents.

A photograph of my father would show you a large man with dark hair that only grew gray during the last year of his life. It would show you a man with a quick smile, a quick sense of humor, and a joyful, giving spirit. It would also show you a man who was taken from his family and friends way too soon.

Another photograph, this one of my mother, would show a farm girl, one quick to laugh with an indomitable spirit. Her wants were simple, her needs few. She married late, at the age of 29, and had six children, the last the year she turned 40. I was fortunate enough to have her in my life far long than my father, but still, she left us way too soon.

A photograph of the two of them would, more often than not, also include their six children. That's the way it was with them - the children came first. What they did, what they had, was ours. We came first because that's the way it was supposed to be in their world.

Money was short but, as a child, I cannot remember a time when they denied us anything. We may not have had all the 'things' other kids had but I don't think we realized we were being deprived. We had enough; each other, parents who loved and respected each other, a great home, food and plenty of 'things' to make us happy.

Together they raised the six of us to be independent, competent adults. Five have college degrees; the sixth spent a year in college before deciding it wasn't for her and she went to work. Three are parents - three boys and two girls between them.

We are following in our parents footsteps. Their values are our values. They lived each day to the best of their abilities, doing the right thing instead of the easy thing, wanting little more than a chance. They faced their trials and tribulations and kept on going.

For that alone they are heroes.

For the rest, they are my heroes and no one else comes close.

Heads or Tails 11

2009-06-02T09:58:00.002-04:00

The theme/prompt for THIS week, June 2, is:

HEADS - "Motion"

Make any kind of post using the theme/prompt "Motion." It can be anything that has motion or moves or has movement.

Ahh... motion. Here are a couple of my favorite youtube videos involving motion:

Watching this kid is amazing... and he keeps improving his time!

And then there's this:

Remember two things about this video - one, they are police dogs, and two, it is a training video. None of the 'bad guys' were hurt - they were all wearing bite sleeves/suits.

Oh, but if you watch carefully, during the third 'scenario', where the officer can be seen swinging the dog off its feet - the dog has bitten his handler. The excitement is sometimes too much for them.

I hope you enjoy my version of 'motion'.

Every Day Heroes

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

What does it take to be a hero? A job that puts you in harm's way? That of a police officer, a fire fighter, a soldier?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes, being a hero simply means you're willing to do what's right, in spite of any risk, preceived or real, to yourself.

Like Chris Turner of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Chris delivers pizzas and he recently delivered one to a remote cabin in the mountains. While getting his money, he noticed something a little strange:

"While I was standing in the door all you could see was the back of the couch," Turner said. "And then she popped over the back of the couch and showed me that her hands were bound. And she was just mouthing, 'Please call 911.'"

It turns out the woman had been kidnapped and raped and her rapist was planning on killing her when he finished with her.

What makes Chris a hero is simple - he took a chance. He didn't look the other way or walk away. He believed the woman and called police. He saved her life by doing the right thing.

That makes him a hero, doesn't it?

Heroes

2009-06-01T14:46:00.001-04:00

It's a new month and I've decided to try my hand at posting here every day for the entire month. I'm taking part in National Blog Posting Month, otherwise known as NaBloPoMo.

The rules are simple - post once a day, every day for a month. What could be simpler, right? Nothing to it... yeah, right.

This month's theme is Heroes.

Everyone has a hero, don't they? They come in all shapes and sizes.

Some risk their lives keeping us safe from those who would harm us:

Others risk their lives protecting us against a different type of foe:

Some do it simply because they are asked to:

Whatever the reason, they are the ones we count on, look to, and need in our lives.

This month I hope to examine a different sort of hero every day. Some will be personal. Some will not. But, they will all, man, woman, or animal be heroes.

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-24T19:34:00.000-04:00

It's the beginning of summer. The first long weekend filled with warm weather and good times. Barbecues, picnics, beer...

Revolutionary War: 217,000 serving, 6,188 wounded, 4,435 dead

Boating, swimming, ballgames...

Civil War: 3,213,363 serving, 354,805 wounded, 191,963 dead

Getting together with friends to celebrate the beginning of the long, hot summer...

World War I: 4,734,991 serving, 204,002 wounded, 53,402 dead

Watermelon...

World War II: 16,112,566 serving, 671,846 wounded, 291,557 dead

Kids everywhere, running, playing, carefree and happy...

Korea: 5,720,000 serving, 103,284 wounded, 33,741 dead

Graduations, gatherings, the easy, laid-back, hazy days of summer...

Vietnam: 8,744,000 serving, 153,303 wounded, 47,424 dead

Let's all remember that this weekend, this Monday, this day is about more than the good things in life. It is about those who made the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee those good things for the rest of us. We cannot allow it to be anything less.

Gulf War: 575,000 serving, 467 wounded, 147 dead

Remember by taking part in the Nation Moment of Remembrance. At 3pm, local time, give them a minute of your time. Give them your thoughts. Do something as simple as ringing a bell three times. Give them the respect they deserve. They gave us their bodies, their blood, and their very lives.

Iraq War: 140,000 serving, 31,156 wounded, 4,300 dead

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell was a helicopter pilot who went missing on March 24, 1970 while on a mission in Cambodia. His remains were recovered and he was interned at Arlington National Cemetery on August 16, 2001. He wrote the following on January 1, 1970. They are words that apply today...

If you are able
save for them a place
inside of you
and save one backward glance
when you are leaving
for the places they can
no longer go.
Be not ashamed to say
you loved them
though you may
or may not have always.
Take what they have taught you
with their dying
and keep it with your own.
And in that time
when men decide and feel safe
to call the war insane,
take on gentle moment to embrace
those gentle heros
you left behind.

The mystic cords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart... should swell into a mighty chorus of remembrance, gratitude and rededication on this solemn occasion. -- Abraham Lincoln

Give them your thanks. It's the least that we can do. We owe them everything.

Heads or Tails 10

2009-05-19T12:54:00.002-04:00

The theme/prompt for this week, May 19, is:

TAILS - "Brave"

Tell about a time when you felt brave or showed bravery. (This is TAILS so it needs to be a true/real post from your own life.)

I'm not entirely sure this fits with a tails... but it is what comes to mind when I think of the word brave.

When my mother was 65 she suffered a massive stroke. It left her left side paralyzed and had a huge affect on her vision. She spent eight weeks in rehab learning how to do everything again, including walking and tying her shoes.

It would've been easy for her to give up. None of her doctors believed she would ever regain the use of her arm or her leg. They believed she would be in a care facility for the rest of her life. I can remember thinking, while listening to the doctor give us his doomsday diagnosis, that this man didn't know my mother.

Eight weeks later, she walked out of the hospital, under her own power. Yes, it was with a cane, and it was a difficult thing to watch. She was slow and a bit clumsy. But she was walking under her own power.

Life after her stroke was never easy. She had to fight for everything, especially those things we take for granted, like walking. With her vision problem, reading was difficult as was doing her crossword puzzles. Even being around a group of friends was difficult because any amount of noise made it hard for her to concentrate like she needed to.

I watched her fight to regain every bit of her ability that she could. I watched her continuing struggle in the years after her stroke. I watched as she began to give up the fight. I watched this amazing woman and I knew I was witnessing one of the bravest things I'd ever seen in my life.

I still believe that to this day.

Random thoughts...

2009-05-14T05:57:00.002-04:00

So, way back when I started this blog, I intended to post about whatever random thought struck me.

Apparently, I don't have many random thoughts, if you look at how little I've posted.

I'm going to try and change that. Maybe I should set a goal and try to post a random thought a day.

But...

That leads to a question.

If I have to think about my random thoughts, doesn't that take the randomness out of them?

Heads or Tails 9

2009-05-12T00:28:00.002-04:00

They seem like such harmless little things.

They bounce and roll and you can toss them for fun or exercise.

All-in-all there really isn't much that is bad about a tennis ball, is there?

Well, wait.

There is one thing.

They float.

And I, the idiot that I am, throw them into the water for my dog to fetch. Riley is my third German Shepherd dog and I'm crazy about her. The previous two dogs, Chelsea and Simba, loved tennis balls. They loved to play fetch, especially at the lake.

Riley is another story completely.

Because of her, the fact that tennis balls float has come to drive me crazy.

So, here's a typical encounter with a floating tennis ball and Riley:

I toss the ball into the water. Riley eagerly goes after it. She brings it back until just her legs are in the water and then she stops.

She stares at me, her tail wagging, chewing on the ball.

Riley, I say, bring me the ball.

Nope, she says. Think I'll drop it in the water and play dunk just far enough that I know you can't reach me without getting wet. Yup, that's what I'll do. Dunk, dunk, dunk. Chew, chew, chew.

Riley, bring the ball here.

Riley, get the ball. Bring it here.

Riley, you brat, bring me the ball.

Riley, get over here, now.

She is a good dog and she knows a command she has to obey when she hears it, so she joins me on the shore... and we both watch her tennis ball float away.

Yup. Tennis balls are great. Floating, however, is another story completely.

Heads or Tails 8

2009-01-12T23:55:00.004-05:00

THIS week's theme/prompt is:

HEADS - "Bottle"

Make any kind of post using the theme/prompt "Bottle."

Well, talk about an easy one to lure me back to the fold...

This week's "Bottle" has been brought to you by the weather forecast for my neck of the woods which includes temperatures in the single minus digits, ranging to double minus digits and wind chills reaching -30F.

So, what you may ask, can this have to do with bottles?

Well, plenty, if we're talking one of these bottles:

In case you don't know, those are HOT WATER BOTTLES... an item I think I'm going to sorely need when I go home at 0700...

One Last Christmas Wish

2008-12-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

Amen

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T16:04:00.001-05:00

I believe in Santa Claus.

Not in the jolly old elf in the red suit, of course.

No, I believe in the spirit of Santa Claus.

I believe in the simple joy in a child's face on Christmas morning. I believe in families gathering together to share the peace and joy with each other.

I believe in finding and giving just the right thing whenever I can.

Santa is not so much a person as he is a state of being. How nice would it be if that feeling, that simple joy, that love and peace we wish for each other at this time of year stayed with us for the entire year?

What a wonderful place this would be.

I also believe in that child.

The one born in a manager because there was no place for Him anywhere else. I believe in the hope He offers, as old-fashioned as that may be.

I also believe that the two - the spirit of Christmas we've invested in Santa and the simple promise given to us by the birth of that child - are not unrelated and we do better when we remember that.

For those of you experiencing sorrow, I wish solace. For those of you experiencing pain, I pray for comfort. For those in need, I pray that your needs be met.

But most of all...

Peace.

For us all.

Time for a disclaimer

2008-12-20T23:56:00.001-05:00

So, I will admit I haven't paid much attention to this blog. I hope to change that. I also didn't pay enough attention to the comments on my last wordless Wednesday post. Time to clear something up.

The lab is not mine, nor is the photo. It's one I found online and I posted it because it is a great picture. I also have a fondness for labs since all of the family dogs when I was a kid were labs.

However, this is my baby:

She's my third shepherd and until I'm a little old lady who can't control a big dog, all my dogs will be shepherds. Her name is Riley. The cat in the window is Maddie, also known as Houdini.

I hope that sets the record straight.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-03T02:15:00.001-05:00

Heads or Tails 7

2008-10-14T08:22:00.004-04:00

This week's theme/prompt is:

HEADS - Anything that starts with the letter G

And the first thing that came to my mind was:

GROUNDHOG!!

When you go through winters like the ones we endure, Groundhog's Day is of vital importance. I have, however, wondered how well Phil does in his forecasting. Here's a record of his predictions. (All information, including the photo is copyrighted by the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce.

The groundhog's seasonal forecasting accuracy is somewhat low.
Phil's Winter prognostications have been correct only 39% of the time.

1887 Shadow; first official trip to Gobbler's Knob.
1888 Shadow (Six more weeks of Winter!)
1889 no record
1890 NO Shadow (early Spring!)
1891 no record
1892 no record
1893 no record
1894 no record
1895 no record
1896 no record
1897 no record
1898 Shadow
1899 no record
1900 Shadow
1901 Shadow
1902 NO Shadow
1903 Shadow
1904 Shadow
1905 Shadow
1906 Shadow
1907 Shadow
1908 Shadow
1909 Shadow
1910 Shadow
1911 Shadow
1912 Shadow
1913 Shadow at 8:08 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Day by John Frampton.
1914 Shadow at 9:34 AM
1915 Shadow at 11:45 AM; named Wiley William Woodchuck!
1916 Shadow at 9:07 AM; first films of Groundhog Day ceremony.
1917 Shadow
1918 Shadow; 18 degrees below zero.
1919 Shadow [Birthdate: Forrest Tucker, actor]
1920 Shadow
1921 Shadow at 7:17 AM
1922 Shadow at 7:11 AM; Groundhog Holiday Dance.
1923 Shadow
1924 Shadow at 7:13 AM
1925 Shadow at 8:13 AM;
1926 Shadow at 9:17 AM
1927 Shadow at 8:35 AM;
1928 Shadow at 10:00 AM; program with Punx'y Rotary Club on KDKA Radio.
1929 Shadow
1930 Shadow at 7:11 AM
1931 Shadow at 12:27 PM
1932 Shadow at 9:11 AM
1933 Shadow
1934 NO Shadow.
1935 Shadow at 9:11 AM
1936 Shadow at 10:27 AM
1937 Shadow at 9:09 AM; early morning encounter with a skunk!
1938 Shadow at 9:05 AM; "darkest shadow in history"
1939 Shadow at 9:10 AM
1940 Shadow at 9:00 AM
1941 Shadow at 4:25 PM
1942 Partial Shadow at 7:40 AM; "War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow."
1943 Groundhog did not appear; relied on Quarryville's prediction.
1944 Shadow at 9:10 AM
1945 Shadow at 9:00 AM
1946 Shadow at 7:52 AM
1947 Shadow at 7:37 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Club at Gobbler's Knob
1948 Shadow at 8:46 AM
1949 Shadow at 7:32 AM
1950 NO Shadow
1951 Shadow at 8:41 AM
1952 Shadow at 7:52 AM; on NBC's Today Show on Monday, February 4
1953 Shadow at 7:38 AM;
1954 Shadow at 8:03 AM
1955 Shadow at 8:51 AM; 4" of snow on Groundhog Day;
1956 Shadow at 8:33 AM
1957 Shadow at 7:47 AM;
1958 Shadow at 8:27 AM;
1959 Shadow at 8:23 AM
1960 Shadow at 7:33 AM; forecasts extremely bad weather on the Today show.
1961 Shadow at 7:41 AM; 25 below zero.
1962 Shadow at 7:29 AM;
1963 Shadow at 7:41 AM
1964 Shadow at 7:35 AM
1965 Shadow at 7:58 AM
1966 Shadow at 7:21 AM
1967 Shadow at 7:25 AM
1968 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1969 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1970 NO Shadow
1971 Shadow at 7:29 AM; 14 below zero.
1972 Shadow at 7:30 AM
1973 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1974 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1975 NO Shadow
1976 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1977 Shadow at 7:27; in midst of the energy crisis.
1978 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1979 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1980 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1981 Shadow at 7:27 AM
1982 Shadow at 7:26 AM; coldest January this Century.
1983 NO Shadow; predicted an early Spring after a mild El Nino Winter.
1984 Shadow at 7:04 AM
1985 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1986 NO Shadow; visited President Reagan at the White House in March.
1987 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1988 NO Shadow
1989 Shadow
1990 NO Shadow
1991 Shadow
1992 Shadow
1993 Shadow; the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is released.
1994 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1995 NO Shadow; afternoon guest on the "Oprah Winfrey" TV Show.
1996 Shadow at 7:21 AM
1997 NO Shadow; 35,000 watched at Gobbler's Knob
1998 Shadow at 7:20 AM; predicting six more weeks of a mild El Nino Winter!
1999 NO Shadow at 7:23 AM; 37º rain
2000 Shadow at 7:28 AM; 12º overcast skies with flurries
2001 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º cloudy skies with light snow
2002 Shadow at 7:25 AM; 19º mist with a record 38,000 visitors
2003 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 30º overcast skies with PA Governor Ed Rendell attending
2004 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 17º clear skies with snow on the ground, crowd boos the forecast!
2005 Shadow at 7:31 AM; 14º clear skies with a wind chill of 3ºF.
2006 Shadow at 7:23 AM; 36º overcast skies with the crowd cheering the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
2007 NO Shadow at 7:28 AM; 26º overcast skies with light snow and mist under a Full Moon.
2008 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º fog and mist with the crowd booing six more weeks of Winter.

Heads or Tails 6

2008-09-30T06:37:00.004-04:00

If you're new to Heads Or Tails, please take a minute to read How To Play. If you would like to add the blogroll to your blog drop me an email.

This week's theme/prompt is: HEADS - Shake

No one does it better than a soaking wet dog. They manage to reach you no matter how far or how fast you try to get away from them.

The photo is from http://www.doggienews.com/2006_05_01_dogs.htm mainly because I don't have a photo of my pooch drenching everyone nearby! I tried to create a link instead of including the URL but blogger is being strange...

Happy Tuesday all!

The Nature of Life

2008-09-24T21:59:00.002-04:00

One minute here, the next minute gone.

Our lives, whether we live one year or one hundred, exist in little more than a moment of time.

Why do we not understand that?

We spend our days in endless pursuits of things - material things, moments of pleasure, possessions that wind up meaning nothing in the grand scheme of things. Junk, junk, and more junk.

We don't spend enough time doing and saying the things that matter to those who should matter the most. Things like "Thank you for being in my life" and "I love you".

Then, one day our moments are gone. Time has run out. So have our chances to do what matters, say what matters, live life to its intended meaning.

In this moment I am choosing to stop. I am choosing to take back this moment and do what's important with it:

To my family and friends:

Thank you for your love and your support. I couldn't be half the person I am without it and I will be forever grateful that you are in my life.

September 11

2008-09-11T03:32:00.000-04:00

8:46:40

Flight 11 strikes the North Tower of the World Trade Center, forever changing the face of New York City and the psyche of America

9:03:11

Flight 175 strikes the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:05 Chief of Staff Andrew Card tells the President:

"A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."

9:37:46

Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon.

10:03:11

Flight 93 crashes in a field in Somerset Count, Pennsylvania.

From the Flight 93 National Memorial site:

35 Minutes.

That's how long it takes some of us to drive to work, get to school in the morning, or watch a favorite television program.

That's also how long it took hijackers to takeover Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, and for the forty passangers and crewmembers to stop them.

And, a final number...

A personal number for me.

9:45

United States air space is closed. All inbound flights are re-routed or sent back to their place of origin.

That included my aunt and uncle, who an hour and half earlier, had left Heathrow Airport, London, heading back to Arkansas.

All they knew was what the pilot told them: United States air space had been closed.

They knew something was terribly wrong.

I cannot imagine their thoughts on the flight back to Heathrow. Nor can I imagine, even after talking to them about it, what they thought once they landed and saw the images on the televisions.

It was a day that changed us forever.

Never Forget.

Wordless Wednesday 26

2008-08-20T15:27:00.003-04:00

Hmmmm...

2008-08-14T18:04:00.001-04:00

The Hotel "Have A Good Time"...

There are times when goofy translations prove accurate while being goofy.

Wordless Wednesday 25

2008-08-06T21:29:00.006-04:00

Heads or Tails 5

2008-08-05T04:54:00.005-04:00

This week's theme/prompt is:

HEADS - Manner

Chocolate for everyone" was Josef Manner's motto when he founded the confectionery dynasty in 1890. At the time, chocolate was a luxury item. One kilogram of chocolate cost the equivalent of two day's work for the average labourer. A merchant by trade, Herr Manner had a small shop in Stephansplatz in the heart of Vienna where he sold chocolates and coffee.

In the early days the product range included bars of chocolate, "Manner-Chocolade" for general consumption, chocolate sweets, and "pure cocoa" in tins. Their famous wafers were first recorded in 1898 as "Neapolitan Wafers No. 239", so called because the hazelnuts for the filling made from sugar, cocoa butter and cocoa powder came from the Napoli region. Measuring 47 x 17 x 17 mm they were perfect bite-size treats with four layers of filling between five layers of wafer. This format and the basic recipe have remained unchanged to the present day.

My source, and ordering information can be found here

Ask and you shall receive

2008-08-04T16:19:00.002-04:00

It's 80 here today.

For me, that's plenty hot.

The dog is doing better so I took her to the bay to swim. She went in deep enough to swim twice and that was enough for her. She took her stick and headed for the van. I figured it was good enough, give how gimpy she's been.

And the cat came back. I left a back door open last night into my laundry room and this morning when I got up, I glanced back there not expecting anything yet there he was. Curled up asleep on top of my clean laundry. The laundry can be redone. My goofy boy is back and I'm thrilled.

We've got thunder boomers in the forecast. I hope they don't materialize. I don't need the dog in my lap with this heat.

Good intentions

2008-08-04T01:32:00.002-04:00

I didn't even make it past day two this month. So much for good intentions.

It's been a rough weekend, really.

My dog came up lame to the point that she didn't even want to get up and go outside. As a result, we've had a very quiet weekend.

And, I think I've lost one of my cats. He went out three days ago and I haven't seen him since. I'm trying hard not to worry but it seems like a very long time for him to be gone.

I wish it was hot.

Don't get me wrong, today was a beautiful day. One I couldn't enjoy as much as I'd planned because of the dog. It was only in the mid 70's however.

If it was really hot, which for my neck of the woods means anything over 85, I'd have a reason for being lazy. I haven't been able to get motivated about anything. I'm not reading, I'm not walking, I'm not doing much of anything.

Except for worrying about the dog and the cat.

I really do wish it was hot.

NaBloPoMo... Day one...again

2008-08-01T16:35:00.003-04:00

So, the entire point of the National Blog Posting Month is simple.

Blog every day. Without fail. For a month.

Nothing hard about that, right?

Yeah. Right.

I've been trying since April to get through one month without missing a day here at Random Thoughts.

So far, I've been unsuccessful.

Hope, however, springs eternal. There will always be another month, another attempt.

August's theme is HOT, as in the weather... or whatever you choose it to mean. I'll start on the theme tomorrow. Today I simply want to be able to say I'm trying once again.

Hot on the trail, you might say.

Heads or Tails 4

2008-07-30T02:46:00.004-04:00

This week's theme/prompt is:

HEADS - Doctor

All right fellow babies, it's the one, the only...

Doctor Johnny Fever!

WKRP In Cincinnati was, in my estimation, the funniest half hour comedy show to ever grace television. The day-to-day struggles of a small radio station in Cincinnati was blessed with the most amazing cast:

Gary Sandy as Andy Travis
Gordon Jump as Arthur 'Big Guy' Carlson
Loni Anderson as Jennifer Marlowe
Richard Sanders as Les Nessman
Frank Bonner as Herb Tarlek
Tim Reid as Venus Flytrap
Jan Smithers as Bailey Quarters

And the one, the only Howard Hesseman as Doctor Johnny Fever. Here's the doctor in his own words:

All right, Cincinnati, it is time for this town to get down! You've got Johnny... Doctor Johnny Fever, and I am burnin' up in here! We all in critical condition, babies, but you can tell me where it hurts, 'cause I got the healing prescription here from the big 'KRP musical medicine cabinet. Now I am talking about your 50,000 watt intensive care unit, babies! So just sit right down, relax, open your ears real wide and say, "Give it to me straight, Doctor, I can take it!"

If you're unfamiliar with the show, by all means, check it out. It's still funny today. The Thanksgiving episode is a classic.

Also, if you've never heard of Hulu before, check it out, too. If you're looking for a television show, especially an older one, they've probably got it, with limited commercials.

Wordless Wednesday 24

2008-07-23T00:51:00.002-04:00

Heads or Tails 3

2008-07-22T04:50:00.004-04:00

This week's theme/prompt is:
HEADS *OR* TAILS - Sit *OR* Stand

It doesn't seem fashionable to take a stand - a hard stand - on much these days. The current attitude seems to be that of everything goes, as long as the people involved think it's okay. How dare we judge anyone, or any behavior?

Well, call me a throw back, but I believe in some very simple, bedrock things that I am willing to stand for:

My faith and my freedom to worship how I choose. The United States Constitution guarantees us freedom OF religion, not FROM religion. I am willing to fight for my beliefs but I am also just as willing to fight for the beliefs of others.

My family. I don't think I need to say anything more, except to add that my idea of family also includes my friends.

My country. America is still, as Ronald Reagan put it, the last, best hope for mankind and for freedom. But we will only remain free as long as we are willing to stand up for that freedom.

So, if you feel like it, leave me a comment and tell me what you're willing to stand for...

Thoughts on a good man's passing

2008-07-14T10:43:00.002-04:00

Family is important to me. In fact, it is the most important thing in my life, next to my belief in God. They are, in fact, strangely similar. Without family, I would not be here. The same is true about God. They are what has sustained me through the good times and the bad. My trust in them is unfailing... as unfailing as I can make it. Being human, I am the one who fails them at times.

Today that family has been reduced by one.

My Uncle Bill is gone. He was 94, which means he had a full, long life. He took over my grandparents farm, which is a hard life under the best conditions. He raised three kids. He saw two of the of them off to war and, luckily, welcomed them both home again. He saw them all married, saw grandkids and great grandkids. And he was surrounded by that family when he was called Home, to join those, including my mother (his sister) and father, who had gone before him.

He was a typical, stoic Finn in so many ways. He managed no matter what life threw at him. It is what his generation did. Until the last few years or so he was still going out to help with the haying, still keeping a hand in even though the farm was no longer his worry. His son had taken it over. He had a habit, when we were kids, of pinching us behind our knees and saying "My, what thick pants you have on today!" I think he got a big kick out of it when, as we all got older, we turned things around on him in that respect. It always got a chuckle out of him. He watched my mother struggle with serious health issues with a quiet sadness. She was the baby of the family and I know it had to be difficult. How could it not?

He'd been sick for quite some time, so today's passing is truly a blessing. At the moment, however, it is difficult for me to think of that. My father's family - the one he was born into, is all gone. Now, my mother's family has been reduced to one. Those of us left, the cousins, are not as close as we should be to begin with and now we have lost one more tie, one more mooring to what was. There is great sadness in that.

I know... I absolutely know that he has gone Home. He has returned to that place we all come from where he is surrounded by all those who went before him. That thought gives me comfort and peace...

And I know he's wearing those thick pants.

Sundays

2008-07-13T22:19:00.002-04:00

Sundays were once big family days in my family. There were eight of us all together, my parents, two brothers, three sisters, and me. We would all get up and go to church then we'd come home and Mom would fix us a big breakfast - eggs, bacon, potatoes, grapefruit, toast. Looking back on it, it was a great deal of work for her, but she never said anything. It was something she grew up with and it was something she wanted us to have.

Sunday night dinner was always something special, too. I'm not talking Christmas feast special, but not mac and cheese, either. Ham, roast beast, chicken... there was always something we normally didn't have during the week, and we had all the fixings to go with it. And we ate it as a family, with conversation as a side dish.

Now I see families that eat in shifts, or on the go. When they do manage to sit down together, conversation is unheard. They may be occupying the same space, but they are rarely ever sharing anything.

My sister has somehow managed to keep the tradition but not as religiously as our Mom did. One daughter is away, finishing her Masters, but she, her husband, and daughter still at home have as many dinners together as they can, given the constraints of work, school, and life.

We are what we learn from our families. There's no getting away from that, is there? I'm glad that I can be a part of passing on my family's traditions. It is, after all, all we can do. Teach, lead by example, and hope for the best.

Summer Time Foods

2008-07-12T09:13:00.003-04:00

No doubt about it - summer offers the best eating there is.

Fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries...

There's nothing better than fresh fruit. Eaten plain or mixed into a salad, it's flat out good eats.

Then, there's grilling. My brother-in-law is a master griller. Anything and everything he grills turns out wonderfully. My favorites, of course, are chicken and steak.

And there are those foods you don't cook because it's too hot. Potato Salad, Pasta Salads, Fruit Salad...

Here's my 'thumb nail' recipe for tuna macaroni salad. I don't measure anything when I make it, so amounts depend on how much you want to make. I generally make enough to feed a small army:

elbow macaroni
tuna
peas
celery
cheese
mayo

You cook the macaroni but not overly so. Firmer is better than soft. Drain the tuna and add it to the cooled macaroni. I also used canned peas, so those need to be drained. Slice several stalks of celery. Dice the cheese - I use colby jack and I like my pieces to be on the slightly bigger side. Then, thin the mayo with vinegar until it pours off the spoon easily. Add some celery seed. Mix into the macaroni. That's it.

Well, I've managed to make myself hungry. Time to go see about breakfast...

How do you forget an entire day?

2008-07-11T22:09:00.001-04:00

No, I haven't forgotten yesterday. I just forgot to come here and post something yesterday. It never entered my mind.

Why is this so difficult?

*Sigh*

Wordless Wednesday 23

2008-07-09T17:46:00.002-04:00

Heads or Tails 2

2008-07-08T10:18:00.004-04:00

This week's theme/prompt is:

HEADS - Anything starting with the letter O

My "O" would be The 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky. The video is from the PBS broadcast of "A Capital Fourth 2007" It's not my favorite version but I can't find any good video of the Boston Pops performance. If you've never heard the entire overture, I recommend it. It's an amazing piece of music but most people have only heard the part with the canon fire.

Here's a little wikipedia info on Tschaikovsky:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the 1812 Overture (full title: Festival Overture "The Year 1812" in E♭ major, Op. 49; French: Ouverture solennelle 1812) to commemorate Russia's 1812 defense against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of Borodino, during the devastating French invasion of Russia. The Overture debuted in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow on August 20, 1882 (NS; the OS date was 8 August). The overture is best known for its climactic volley of cannon fire and ringing chimes. While this piece has no historical connection with United States history, it is often a staple at Fourth of July celebrations.

The Heads or Tails blog is linked with the title above.

Absolute insanity...

2008-07-08T07:40:00.004-04:00

The idea that babies can be racist is insane enough.

But, to say you can tell they're racist if they don't like 'spicy' or unfamiliar food is just flat-out, over-the-hill nuts.

Consider this:

The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.

This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food
So...

I don't like spicy Thai food, or extremely hot Mexican food. It doesn't agree with me and I end up with massive heartburn. For me, it's not worth it. Neither, by the way, is coffee any more. I love coffee but it gives me horrid heartburn so I quit drinking it.

Given that information, I guess I must be racist against Thais, Mexicans, and... Peruvians?

No doubt about it. The world has gone insane.

Here's the problem

2008-07-07T21:40:00.002-04:00

I have all sorts of good intentions when it comes to getting my diet under control. I've even done it in the past and once I got going, it proved to be easy.

It's the getting going that's hard and I have no idea why.

Part of my current problem is the fact that I'm working the day shift. I hate getting up at six in the morning. I've never been a morning person. So, I don't bound out of bed and I don't give myself enough time to eat anything close to a decent breakfast at home.

That means McDonald's or Burger King.

Then I feel like I've failed myself yet again so I continue to ignore what I should be doing for the rest of the day.

It's a vicious circle. One I've got to break.

Computer problems (Day 6)

2008-07-07T00:04:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to do this post for an hour now but my computer is giving me fits. I'm going to gracefully withdraw and come back to fight another day.

Hopefully.

So, we're supposed to be talking about food...

2008-07-05T18:28:00.002-04:00

I like food, but then again, I don't know anyone who doesn't.

Steak and chicken are my favorites butm, truthfully, there's not a lot I won't eat. That's the way it was growing up. We ate what Mom put on the table, no complaining allowed. Of course, she didn't go out of her way to fix us things we didn't like...

But, I've never developed a taste for liver... or beef heart. And we won't even discuss headcheese...

I grew up eating simple, good food prepared by my mother every night. This after she worked all day. She still came home and fixed dinner for six kids and a husband. I'm not entirely sure how she managed to do half the things she did, especially when we were little.

Once we got older, of course, we did what we could to help. Potatoes would be peeled when she got home. Salad made. And if something needed putting in the oven, we even did that.

Anyway...

I now eat way too much take out and fast food. It isn't all that good or even good for me and it's expensive. So, I ponder, on the odd occasion, why I do it. Yes, it's easier. Yes, I have days when I just don't feel like cooking, especially for one person. But, as my weight continues to be of great concern for my doctor, my family, and me, I know I need to stop.

The question is: how.

Maybe I'll use this month to see if I can find an answer.

How it all began...

2008-07-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor

Food for thought

2008-07-03T21:16:00.002-04:00

It's the third day of the month and I'm finally posting something in line with this month's NABLOPOMO theme - food.

I went to dinner with a friend tonight. We did Chinese, which was great, but we also caught up, which was even better. We're decades apart, age-wise, he's 25 and I'm 49, but we've got a good friendship, which I appreciate.

Good food, good friends, good conversation. There's nothing better.

Wordless Wednesday 22

2008-07-02T20:38:00.006-04:00

Heads or Tails? 1

2008-07-01T14:15:00.004-04:00

TAILS - Share a Summertime memory

Summer time memories are easy for me because they are all of one place - our family cabin on the shore of Lake Superior. It had cold running water and an outhouse but it also had a sandy beach and the crystal clear water of Lake Superior for us to play in.

We would open up on Memorial Day and then every weekend, plus two weeks in July, would be spent 'roughing it'. There was no TV and the radio only got scratchy FM reception at best. We didn't even have a telephone. My dad would stay in town until Saturday night because he had to work but my mom would haul us all (six of hers, plus friends) out in our overloaded station wagon. We'd raise the flag, unpack the groceries, and then scatter to the beach.

If Friday night was a nice night, we collected wood for a bonfire. If it was windy, we simply played and maybe went for a dip in those clear blue waters. On Saturday, we spent most of the time on the beach. We would swim until out teeth chattered, come out for ten minutes, and then be right back in again.

As we got older, there was no 'wading in' to get 'use to it'. We ran for it, diving headlong when we got to our knees. The shock was always one of the best things about Lake Superior. It was never 'warm'. It varied between 'take your breath away' cold when you first dove in to 'make you ache to the bone' when your feet got wet. It didn't matter which it was. In we went.

Bonfires were a nightly thing with marshmallows and hot dogs. We'd sit around and talk. Imagine that. Conversation with your parents and family. After the fire was out, we'd head back, exhausted, and climb into bed eager to do it again the next day.

Day 30 (minus one)

2008-06-30T20:37:00.002-04:00

And that's the way I'll think about June.

Thirty days, minus one.

But I've had fun thinking of home in so many different ways.

Now, we're on to food which might prove timely.

Well, this totally sucks...

2008-06-29T18:56:00.002-04:00

Twenty-seven days...

I went 27 days without missing a post.

Then, there was yesterday.

Geez.

I am determined to do this at least once so I guess we do July.

The topic is food.

Hmmmm...

Hit and Run...

2008-06-27T20:49:00.002-04:00

We've got thunderboomers moving in again. At the moment they've got us surrounded but the sky and the feel here is threatening at best.

Back tomorrow after the horse show.

Facelifts

2008-06-26T23:26:00.003-04:00

I found out recently that my home is going to be undergoing something of a face lift in July. Some of the siding that is in despeate need of replacement is going to be taken care of and then the whole joint is going to get a new coat of paint. I can't wait.

Pictures may be forthcoming.

Wordless Wednesday 21 - Such a pretty girl...

2008-06-25T19:54:00.005-04:00

Day 24

2008-06-24T14:02:00.001-04:00

Not much to say today. Beyond what I've already said - I'm going stir crazy.

The back, however, may be a bit better today.

So, hopefully the back will be better before the weather decides to get crappy again.

Boring, isn't it?

Home sick... of a totally different sort

2008-06-23T21:22:00.003-04:00

I like my house.

Really.

But I've basically been stuck inside for two days now because of my back.

Well, my pelvis, really.

I can't even think of going back to work until Thursday.

I'll be really sick of home by then.

This hardly seems fair (Day 22)

2008-06-22T15:44:00.003-04:00

I've been waiting for weeks for a day like this one.

It is sunny and warm, with almost no breeze.

It is the perfect beach day.

And here I sit, in too much pain to go out and enjoy it. I'm horribly tempted. I mean, sitting on the beach wouldn't be any worse than sitting here, would it?

Then I remember...

Walking in the sand would probably kill me.

Man, I hope the weather lasts and the back pain doesn't.

Happy Summer!

2008-06-21T21:47:00.002-04:00

It's the first full day of summer here in the northern hemisphere.

And we actually had a beautiful day. Warm, with a slight breeze, and a brilliant blue sky. People were out in droves, trying to pack as much as possible into their day. The weather forecast doesn't bear repeating...

But, for the day it's summer and I did what I could with my back. I took the dog for a swim, which she always enjoys. We played a bit and she didn't even mind my weak underhand throws.

Now, she's curled up at my feet. I've got the Tigers on the television and it's still light out at 9:50p.m.

That's what's so great about summer.

What was that about old age?

2008-06-20T20:53:00.003-04:00

It seems the age thing jumped up and bit me today.

Hard.

In my back.

It's been an all new experience in pain.

I'm taking it as a sign that I need to get serious about taking off some weight and to get moving. The alternative was rather frightening today.

Home and age...

2008-06-19T22:30:00.002-04:00

My house is old. Like 100 years or so old. It's worn and frayed around the edges but it's still home. It's the place I go to for rest and quiet, to rejuvenate and recover from whatever the world throws at me. It's the place where I can curl up and read or watch my Tigers. It is comfort and, thanks to my memories, it is love.

My sister celebrated her 50th birthday today. It was a remind that it's not just our childhood home that is getting older. We are, too. Hopefully we'll carry on as well as the house has.

Wordless Wednesday 21

2008-06-18T08:03:00.001-04:00

House Mates

2008-06-17T21:05:00.003-04:00

I don't have children, unless you count my two nieces, both of whom I adore. But I do share my home with my three animal 'kids'...

First up, we have the cats, Max (the Siamese) and Maddie (the whatever she is). Both came to me to be rescued and I don't regret doing so. I do, however, have to say don't they look precious when they're still and quiet? You can see it in Max's eyes - the plotting and planning for the next escapade...

Then we have my darlin' girl. I make no bones about it - I am a dog person. I love the cats but was content before they came along. I can't say that about being dogless. Being dogless leaves a hole in my soul that I can't bear.

This is Riley. She's my third shepherd, the second female. She is spooky smart, with what a vet once called 'people smarts'. She's listened and learned right from the beginning and all she's ever asked for in return is my love and affection. She's got both.

Surprises (day 16)

2008-06-16T20:22:00.002-04:00

My cleaning elf came today.

My house has been a mess, and that's being generous. I haven't had the energy to clean when I've had the time and I haven't had the time when I've had the energy. It was one vicious circle that I wasn't sure I could escape from.

Then, today she came.

I got home from work at 3:00 p.m. to find my house cleaned. Floors vacuumed, dishes washed and put away. The litter box had even been cleaned.

That cleaning elf is also know as my sister.

I don't know what I'd do without her and I'm very glad I won't have to find out.

Foggy Morning Blues (Day 15)

2008-06-15T09:24:00.005-04:00

I awoke this morning to the sound of a foghorn. Its mournful note told me to stay in bed, safely snuggled beneath the covers, the cats curled up at my feet.

I wanted to listen. Really, I did.

When you live on the river, mornings can be slow and easy. You awake to a soft, gray blanket and the long, lonesome call of the foghorn. It doesn't compel you to jump out of bed and rush out to greet the day.

Today is Father's Day.

It is also the day my father was born.

He would've been 96.

Such an impossible number because he is, and forever will be, 65...

We still miss you, Dad.

Defenders of our Homeland

2008-06-14T20:29:00.001-04:00

The United States Army was founded on June 14, 1775. That makes today the 233rd birthday. We are all fortunate to have them defending us. The following are offered as a tribute to the brave men and women who put their lives on the line daily so that those of us at home can live free.

If you give any of them a look, make it the last one. It's amazing...

Some times home isn't (Day 13)

2008-06-14T00:52:00.003-04:00

There are definitely times when home isn't a good place.

I heard a news story today that brought that point home once again.

Two parents, a mother and a father, tied their 13 year old son to a tree over night as a form of discipline. They did it twice and the second time apparently killed him.

What goes through a person's mind at a time like that? What 41 year old man would think tying your child to a tree all night would accomplish anything? And then, to do it again the next night.

We don't allow that sort of abuse to happen to our animals. You can't tie a dog outside without shelter, food, and water but this guy thought it was okay to do something like that to his child?

There are definitely times when home isn't home... and there are times when I truly despair for humanity.

Source here.

Memories (day 12)

2008-06-12T15:02:00.002-04:00

As I said yesterday, memories of my father have been close to the surface this week. On June 15th, he would've been 96 years old. He's been gone since August of 1977. It really isn't fair but that's life. If I've learned anything it's the simple truth that life is very rarely fair.

My father was born on June 15, 1912 and was only 65 when he died on August 19th, two days after the singer from Memphis. The dates say three, but my dad died early in the morning so it will forever be two in my mind. He was a big man, both physically and by nature. He loved life, loved people, had a wonderful sense of humor, and would do anything for anyone.

There are so many things that come to mind when I think of him. Not all of them are connected with the physical home but they are forever connected with that place in my heart where home truly lives.

My earliest memories with my father is the day my youngest sister was born. I was three at the time and he gathered up the five of us and we went to the hospital. In 1962 we weren't allowed into my mom's room, so we stood outside and waved to her when she came to the window with the baby.

Then there were the Christmases where he was, by far, the bigget elf around. He loved Christmas and, in spite of a very limited income, he always managed to make it a magical time for his six kids. I can't remember being disappointed. Not once. He had a movie camera that always came out at Christmas, too. It was way before camcorders and digital anything. It came with what seemed like a hundred bright flood lights that irritated everyone, then. Now, those movies are priceless.

One of my favorite memories was the time he showed up at our family cabin with a big, black dog in his arms. He told my mother that he had followed him home. My mom wasn't crazy about the idea of a dog but he stayed. I think it was because of my dad that we always had a dog. My mom liked them well enough but she was busy with a job and six kids. Adding another thing to take up her time probably wasn't high on her list.

One year he ordered fireworks from out-of-state. It was a huge box and I think he felt a tad bit sorry because we were never in town to see the fireworks on the 4th of July. We were always at our cabin. So, he staged his own. They were magnificant and all of the neighbhors up and down the beach would come down to watch.

We also had a boat out at the cabin. Like most of our things, it wasn't the newest or the fanciest but it was the greatest. It was a 16' aluminum outboard that weighed a ton. We all had to help get it in the water on the first evening at the cabin and then it was in almost constant use over the weekend, as long as the weather allowed. We went fishing, we went for rides, we went exploring 'around the point'. We even water skiied behind it. And dad was always the one at the helm, which in this case was at the back of the boat. I can still see him sitting there, most times with a captain's hat on his head, a white T-shirt, and a ragged pair of cut-off trousers for shorts.

They are the type of memories that don't fade. In fact, in some ways, they grow stronger as I grow older.

Memories of the heart do that.

Day 11

2008-06-11T21:16:00.002-04:00

I was going to write about memories today. The 15th would've been my father's 96 birthday and he's been on my mind a lot lately.

It will have to wait, however, because I've got one of the worst migraines I've had recently. Bedtime is coming very, very early.

The memories will be there tomorrow.

Home Improvement (nablopomo day 10)

2008-06-10T03:46:00.004-04:00

Well, at least to this cyber home.

I was tired of the old template. I didn't like the way some of my post looked once they were actually posted. The whole page seemed... pinched to me.

Here we are, in the new digs. I absolutely love the lighthouse header. I live on Lake Superior, where lighthouses are a fairly common thing, even in this day and age of technology.

So, take a look around and make yourself to home.

I think I'm gonna like it here.

Life goes on...

2008-06-09T20:13:00.002-04:00

My sister is traveling today. She's heading south to help her oldest daughter move. My niece, at 24, is just finishing up her Master's in Social Work and is moving out of the loft apartment that has been home for close to a year, I believe. She's moving in with a friend and all I can do is hope that the friendship survives. Some friends shouldn't live together, now matter how good the friendship. I have no idea if it applies to them or not. We'll have to wait and see.

It has, however, made me think how the nature of home can be transitory at times. Apartments are temporary places. You move in, make it home-like, and then move on, uprooting your home in the process.

So, is home really a place, or is it a state of mind? I know my niece would say home is here, where she grew up. But is it? Is it actually the physical place or is it the family? What makes a place a home?

If I left my home tomorrow, if I sold it or lost it to a disaster, those wonderful memories of growing up and my family would certainly go with me. They would stay in my heart and mind. They would settle in wherever I ended up and they would be a big part of the new place becoming home.

The best answer to all my questions, is simple, I think: Home is what you make it. Temporary, apartment, house, condo, trailer, whatever. As long as your heart is there, it is home.

Words

2008-06-08T22:43:00.002-04:00

I am a writer by desire. Writing is as much a part of me as breathing, really. I am a happier person when I am writing, whether the words are flowing freely or I'm struggling to put two of them together in a way that makes sense. I write because I have to, because I am driven by something deep inside that demands the I do. At times I think I do it well.

Then I read something, or hear something that shows me that there is a vast difference between what I write and what a true craftsman creates. Those words leave me in awe and humbled by their beauty.

Maybe one day I'll be such a craftsman.

All I can do is practice... and hope.

Summer in the city...

2008-06-07T20:42:00.003-04:00

It's finally summer here in my hometown. Today was glorious, with temps hitting 80 and enough sunshine to satisfy but not cook. Winds were a bit gusty but that keeps the bugs away.

Riley, my four-footed best friend, and I headed for the water where she swam and played for as long as she wanted. She even chased a stick for me instead of obsessing over the rocks in the water.

All in all it was a good day for me. My Detroit Tigers even won a game! The only unhappy note was Big Brown losing the Belmont Stakes. No Triple Crown winner again!

I hope things are equally as pleasant for the rest of y'all.

Day Six

2008-06-06T22:07:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately, home is also where thunderstorms can make it unwise to be online for any length of time.

Home is worth fighting for: June 6, 1944

2008-06-06T01:13:00.005-04:00

It is a day that should be remembered. It was the day that, in all probability, saved the world from madness.

In 1984 President Ronald Reagan spoke at the D Day Memorial at the site of the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc, France. Here is some of what he said:

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers--the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your "lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.'

Whatever your feelings for Ronald Reagan, these words were some of the best he ever delivered.

The Boys of Pointe du Hoc deserve to be remembered today.

NABLOPOMO 4 - The Ducklings

2008-06-04T23:32:00.002-04:00

I found today's version of home in what might be considered a strange place. I took my dog to the local boat launch area this afternoon so she could swim. It's finally warm enough and she loves the water, so off we went.

As I was watching her play, I noticed a mother duck with her brood of babies. They were bunched up so tightly that I could count them but there were at least six. Small, dark shapes floating along behind their momma, who was ever watchful. They looked kind of peaceful, really.

But, then I got to thinking. What a strange new world it must be for them. For any newborn, really. You leave what has been your home - the womb, the egg, whatever - and you suddenly find yourself in a world of light and noise. As the baby ducks were floating around, there was a train clanking in the background. It stuck me how loud something like that must be to something new to life as a whole.

The bay itself was choppy with a thousand glints of sun sparkling off the surface. The surface, in fact, was almost the exact same color as the almost completely overcast sky. Water and sky meshed into a seamless horizon that seemed to go on forever.

All of that and the babies seemed content. They flowed behind their momma, a placid little pack. It's clear that, for them, they were home.

Edgar A Guest's version of Home (NABLOPOMO 3)

2008-06-03T23:05:00.002-04:00

IT TAKES A HEAP O' LIVIN'
By Edgar A. Guest

It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger for 'em somehow, with 'em allus on your mind.

It don't make any difference how rich ye get t' be
How much yer chairs an' tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain't home t' ye, though it be the palace of a king
Until somehow yer soul is sort o' wrapped 'round everything.

Home ain't a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it's home there's got t' be a heap o' livin' in it;
Within the walls there's got t' be some babies born, and then
Right there ye've got t' bring 'em on up t' women good n' men;

And gradjerly, as times goes by, ye find ye wouldn't part
With anything they ever used -- they've grown into your heart;
The old high chairs, the play things, too; the little shoes they wore
The hoard; an' if ye could ye'd keep the thumbmarks on the door.

Edgar A Guest was born in England in 1881. He died in Detroit, Michigan in 1959. In between he worked at the Detroit Free Press, starting as a police reporter. He then began to write daily rhymes which proved to be so popular they were syndicated. He was sometimes called "the people's poety".

His take on home may seem simplistic, especially in this day and age, but I've always liked the ideas behind the words. A home isn't fancy things, it's living and loving. It's raising a family and helping them grow to be good women and men.

Guest was my mom's favorite poet and she passed that appreciation on to me. I'm glad she did.

NaBloPoMo, Day Two

2008-06-02T23:42:00.003-04:00

One of my other blogs is an online diary of my reading habits. I started a year ago because I wanted to keep a serious record of how much I read. It's developed into
far more than that because I've found a wonderful community of fellow readers.

One of those readers recently asked that community to come up with a name for our 'homestead'. This is what came to my mind:

Hill House.

As much as I would like to come up with something charming or atmospheric, I can't. I can't because I cannot escape my roots.

My house was my family home when I was a kid. Before that, it belonged to my grandmother, Ida Sophia Hill. She was an immigrant to this country from Finland. At the age of 16 or 17 she set out for the new world, speaking very little English, and traveled across the ocean to this backward little part of the world. Once here, she married and settled down on a farm. She and my grandfather, John Hill, had seven children, one of which died as an infant. They taught their children to be Americans and to be strong, independent people.

My mother spoke Finn along with English but none of her kids know much Finn. She didn't have the time to teach it to us. She told us stories, however, of how she was the baby of the family. Of how she learned to love the Detroit Tigers because it was her job to listen to the games on the radio and tell her father and brothers what had happened while they were out in the fields. She told us about the dog they had that would take her to school on a sled. All my grandmother had to do was hook the dog up and off they would go. Once my mom was safely in school, the dog headed back home but would be there when school let out to pick her up again. We heard about the 'dancing Hill sisters' and how my uncle would get free drinks at the local bar as long as he brought his sisters with him...

My house has been in the Hill family for at least 65 years. My grandmother and my mother moved in after they left the farm for the town. Then, my grandmother sold it to my mother and father. True, it was no longer the Hill House at the point but the spirit of the Hill family ran deep within my mother. I like to believe it runs deep in me, also.

CJ Hill is my on-line name and, if it ever works out, my pen name. I chose Hill because of my mother and my grandmother. Because of that spirit, that tough, stoic, unbelievably valiant spirit that led a young woman barely out of childhood to travel to the new world in search of a better life. It is that spirit that saw my mother through one major stroke, several small strokes, and a slow slide into her own world at the end of her life with more grace and courage then I think I will ever possess.

It is that spirit that I've decided to honor by dubbing my 100+ year old abode "Hill House".

And, inside, where it counts, a part of me says 'silly - it's always been the Hill House' and I can do nothing but agree.

Starting NABLOPOMO yet again

2008-06-01T22:37:00.002-04:00

I haven't been all that successful as of yet, but I'm going to give it another try.

This month's theme is "home", which is a simple thing for me.

Home is where the heart is. Cliched, but true. My heart has always been at home, with my family. I grew up with two brothers and three sisters and for most of my childhood we lived in the same house that is now mine. It's a hundred year old, three-story, nightmare to heat place that, after my mother died, I couldn't give up. It's too much a part of me and it's a part that I wasn't willing to let go.

It's also a place that was always filled with love. My parents didn't have a lot to give us materially but they gave us what was important - love - and they taught us how to be decent human beings. They instilled a sense of self but they also instilled the belief that there are things greater than we are.

Now, it's my place. I live by myself and my four-footed children - the dog and the two cats. It's the place I enjoy coming back to at the end of a long shift. It's a place where I can curl up with a good book or to watch the baseball game.

It's my haven, my sanctuary.

It's my home.

Wordless Wednesday 20

2008-05-21T04:35:00.003-04:00

Wordless Wednesday 19

2008-05-07T18:11:00.002-04:00

A visitor to campus

The Heart of a Champion

2008-05-03T23:48:00.002-04:00

They say fillies don't run in the Kentucky Derby.

They can't handle the big boys or the distance.

Eight Belles had obviously not heard the talk.

Today, she ran with the big boys.

She beat them all - except for one.

She had the heart of a champion.

The horse world has lost an amazing spirit.

April NaBloPoMo Day 2

2008-04-03T01:03:00.000-04:00

I'm cheating. Maybe.

I hate it when that happens.

Not necessarily the cheating part - more the not being sure that I am cheating part.

It's after midnight in my neck of the woods which technically means this isn't day two any more.

But, I haven't been to bed yet, which in my book makes it still day two.

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

April NaBloPoMo Day 1

2008-04-01T16:11:00.004-04:00

April 1, 2008

Mother Nature
The Great Outdoors
Everywhere

Madam:

You win. You've managed to play the biggest April Fool's joke on us all. The winter snow storm tops everything.

But, speaking as one of the long suffering members of the human race, I must say enough is enough. Here it is, April 1st and we still have 22 inches of snow on the ground and are in the process of collecting more as I write this.

You blessed us with an early winter, which was fun. Back then. But that was November and this is April. In the six months since that first snow fall we've experienced two blizzards and countless winter storms. We do appreciate your thoughtfulness because we do like our winter sports hereabouts but it's time.

It's time for spring, for daffodils, crocuses, apple blossoms, and lilacs. It's time for sunshine and walking on the beach. That means it's time for you to stop playing pranks and get motivated. Please.