A Perfect Day...

Today was a perfect day! The weather was absolutely beautiful, a cool breeze blew most of the day and even though the temperature reached the low 80's at some point, it was never hot or humid. We accomplished all that we set out to do and the day ended with a freshly grilled hamburger, and a time rocking on the front porch! Can life get any better than this? ahhhh summer!

The three day weekend!

There was a time in our nation when even one day off was considered a luxury. Men and women and sometimes even children worked 16 and 18 hour days, six or seven days a week.

Somewhere along the way we were given the 8 hour work day and a 5 day day workweek. Every weekend we have two days in which to rest,relax, worship and do all of the other projects that need to be done. So then why is it that when we are given a 3 day weekend we seem to get so many more things finished? Yes, one additional day is great, but what we seem capable of accomplishing is exponentially greater than the one day really gives us!! It is a synergistic mystery! The sum is greater than the parts of the whole! I am not sure that the same principle would be the case if we had a three day weekend every week.

As for me, I am thankful for the weekend, thankful especially for the chance to remember the men and women who have sacrificed for me.

I do miss the Memorial Day parade that used to come down Cooper Street each year right in front of our house. I miss the bag pipers playing and the marching bands. But I will take the tranquility of our southern neighborhood any day! I am going to go hurry and enjoy every last minute of my long weekend!

In Memory of...

Memorial Day always evokes images of flag draped caskets and bugle players for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. It is not often I speak of my step father with respect or honor, but on Memorial Day it is only fitting that I should remember that Donald Edward Krueger was on active duty in the United States Navy when he died. While his death was not considered war related, he did die while serving his country. He had just returned from a year of duty in Okinawa and was on the verge of being promoted to Chief Petty officer. Donald Krueger was a corpsman who had made a career of Navy life. Those who worked with him called him pappy. Somewhere I have the medals he received in combat. When Donald Krueger died there was a simple military funeral at a graveyard in Wisconsin. A life lived and died in service to our nation. I remember...

A New Season

In the scheme of things seasons come and seasons go. Spring is about to give way to summer and with it our fourth daughter will marry. Weddings are always interesting times in families. It will either bring out the best in people or bring out the worst or maybe somewhere in between. So far we have been so blessed with the men our girls have married and we are sure it will be the same with the one to join the club this summer.

Somewhere I have at least one brother...

...and today is his birthday! This brother would be two years older than me, so that would make him 60 I think! I have not laid eyes on John Edward Krueger since I was in the 8th grade. That is about 45 years give or take one. John was my step-brother for about three years while his father and my mother were married.(Long depressing story). When his dad died he moved back to Wisconsin with his mom and four other siblings and I never saw him again. I did talk to John on the phone about 14 years ago. He was still living in Wisconsin, had never married, and was going back to school. He had overcome obstacles in his life and was on the road to recovery. We each had memories which were less than fond of our step-parents, but at least for awhile he was my brother and so...

John, I wish you a happy birthday and a wonderful rest of your life. I pray that God grants you the peace you seek and gives you the desires of your heart.

Your pesky little sister,

Suzi

Who knew?

So today I learned that a word I have used my entire life is in fact NOT a word at all! Who knew? Today while typing the "word" pronunciate, we kept getting the dreaded red underline. Thinking perhaps that I had used the word incorrectly I checked and re-checked only to learn sadly that pronunciate is in fact not a word. You can pronounce, you can ask for a pronunciation, but alas pronunciate is not a word. Now enunciate is a word and perhaps somewhere along the way some teacher of mine merged the two and 'coined' pronunciate. So now I find myself feeling very guilty for leading so many students astray. However, will I begin new vocabulary lessons from now on? Okay, students turn in your vocabulary books and pronounce the following words correctly being careful to enunciate each word carefully.

Side note: Even now the non-word is red-lined before my eyes four times! AHHHHH!

A Poverty Czar??!!!???

Are you kidding me? While most of the time I stay away from discussing politics in a public forum, today I feel I must make at least a comment about something Hillary Clinton said today. While watching an interview conducted by a reporter from a Raleigh station, Mrs. Clinton said that the way she would combat poverty in the US would be to immediately appoint a POVERTY CZAR... can someone say OXIMORON? Wasn't the Russian Czar deposed by poor people precisely for being the CZAR? Is not the very connotation of the word Czar, the words, MONEY, RICHES, etc?
And just who would Hilary appoint to the lofty postion??? Donald Trump, Warren Buffett? Bill Gates? Would the CZAR have a CZARISTA? What would the first act of the POVERTY CZAR be? A proclamation banning poor people? An opening of the national treasury giving all of the poor gasoline for a year?
PLEASSSSE Mrs. Clinton give us a break!

It's like riding a bike... it all comes back to you!

Riding a bike is the thing we never forget how to do. And so once again we have brought out the bikes and went for our first evening ride. Racing through the neighborhood tonight I was reminded of long ago learning to ride my bike circa 1955. I remember my aunt and uncle buying me a three speed which was too big for me and we tried and tried to get me going. After several rounds of skinned knees and wounded pride they finally bought me a used no-speed bike with a much smaller frame. Once they got me over the fact that the "new"/"old" bike would just be a training bike, I overcame my fear and started to ride. Once they were sure I was doing well on the used bike, the original gift reappeared and I was off and riding. Little did I know that 52 years later this would be a skill I would still possess and actually use!
This strikes me as a great life lesson. How often do we learn a skill and regard it as unimportant, only to later realize that it is something we find needful,useful or at the very least, enjoyable. So what skills have you long ago abandoned? One I intend to resurrect is surfing. Now it has been well over 30 years since I tried to get up on a board, but I know I still have it in me! I wonder if there is a Granny Surf Camp for which I can sign up? Another acquired skill was that of the monkey bars... now this skill, unlike bike riding, I do not see in my future!