May 2011

Well, we were all supposed to be "raptured" yesterday. I'm still here and all my favorite folks are still here, as are all my favorite dogs. Guess, maybe, they had it all wrong. This prediction was supposedly based on mathematical predictions from the Bible. I was never any good at math, so like me maybe they just did the math wrong.

The same folks predicting this "end of the world" scenario also got it wrong back in the 90's. I do hope that he/she doesn't try again. I guess, though, as long as there are fools, someone will take advantage and offer to be the bigger fool.

I did like all the anti-rapture stuff on the internet. Some of it was just to funny.

So now we move on the end of world scenario of the Mayans. I tend to think that they just couldn't (again with the math) figure out what came after 2012, or they ran out of space on the rock calendar they were using to keep time.

There have always been predictions of the end of the earth and it certainly won't end with this silliness.

Seems to me the more likely scenario is that we will be our own demise. Our minds and beliefs are narrow. Until we can see the "big" picture we are surely doomed.

So here we go on to 2012 and the hope that the Mayans were just as bad at math as I am.

May 15, 2011

Beautiful morning. The Endeavor Space Shuttle launched this morning. Usually, I can see it streak across the sky but I missed it this morning.

The Endeavor will resupply the Space Station and run physics experiments on the origins of the universe while in space.

I got to thinking about the space program and how my generation is the first to experience the wonders of space travel.

Sputnik was launched on Oct. 4, 1957. I was six and remember sitting on the trunk of our 1951 Ford watching it fly across the sky. My Dad was thrilled to see it. I thought it looked like a falling star and wondered if I should make a wish on it.

When I was a senior in high school, NASA landed astronauts on the moon. I remember watching it on television. It seemed miraculous that they really had gone to the moon.

Now the last of the shuttle missions has happened in my 60th year. I do wonder what will come next. I hope that we will never give up the exploration of space. I guess my Star Trek is showing. I really would like to know what is out there. I may never know, but hopefully my grandchildren or great-grandchildren will know.

May 9, 2011 Mother's Day

What a lovely day. Sun is shining and it is warm. It is Mother's Day, so I thought I would take this opportunity to write about Moms.

My Mom was a combination of strength, love, and humor. My Dad was a truck driver and on the road a lot. So it was up to Mom to raise three kids, keep everything going and try not to crack under the pressure. She was also the main caretaker for her mother. Not an easy task in any of it.

I would say that she was tough but I do believe that we all knew that she loved us.

Her humor was incredible. She would laugh at the littlest things and could laugh at herself as well. She also taught us three to laugh. One of her gifts to us. Carole, Jim, and I are always finding something to bring a smile and a laugh. And we certainly laugh at ourselves.

She taught us to be passionate about our beliefs. She was a woman who was not afraid to stand up for herself, her kids, or her beliefs.

A born Democrat, and successfully, made both of her daughters into strong Democrats. The son, got wrapped up in all the hate that the Republican party adheres to, so she lost her battle with that one. She wasn't one to back down when it came to politics or her beliefs.

She died at a very young age, 54. It seems incredible that she has been gone for nearly 40 years. I miss her, but I don't think she would have enjoyed becoming a very old woman. So, while death took her young, maybe that is the way she would have preferred to be remembered.

Now with kids and grandchildren of my own, I find that I compare myself to her. She knew that being a parent was not a popularity contest. I find that some that I know think parenthood is just that. It never works. So I have said to my boys and grands that, I am not in this to be popular. I am here to love them and that is the bottom line.

Oh, I've had my boys tell me they hated me. And my reply was always, "Well, I love you". They have pointed out that I was stupid, only to find out that this was not necessarily the case. Especially, when they had their own children. Amazing, how smart your own parents get once you have kids of your own.

But, I've had my boys' love and I know it. They have always proven it in little ways. A hug or a peck on the cheek. A phone call when they haven't talked to me in a while. The sparkle in their eyes when I can make them laugh. It is all there. Wrapped in two men's eyes. A sparkle that brings an untold warmth and love to my heart.

You will never know how much your Mom loves you until you have loved your own children. Sometimes it's to late to let Mom know that you learned this lesson. If your Mom is still with you, let her know everyday that you love her.