A long overdue thanks...

A couple times a year while running into a grocery store or maybe the bank I find myself passing a man with a bucket, or a can.

Usually he's an older gentleman, decked out in a decorated uniform.

Colorful stripes and medals, whose meanings I don't pretend to know.

Sometimes he's old and feeble and stands supported by an old cane, other times he's sitting in a wheelchair.

I toss a handful of change into his container.

"Thank you miss" or "God bless you for your contribution" the man says as I pass him by.

I make my way to my car and along the way I pat myself on the back for my generosity.

Once, a few years ago I sent my step dad Papa G a message it was for either Veteran's or Memorial day, I can't remember which now, anyway... I thanked him for his service to our country.

Not only was he in the military, but he also served as a US Marshall for almost 30 years.

That's a lifetime of devotion to one's country.

My country, our country.

My step dad wrote back that he can count on one hand the number of times someone has thanked him for his service to this country.

Really? How sad.

He told me how touched he was by my gesture.

I don't just toss in a handful of coins anymore.

That is not enough.

THAT IS NOT ENOUGH!!!!

Now after the old Vet thanks me for my pitifully tiny contribution to his cause I take a moment and look into his eyes, I offer my hand and I say "IT IS YOU SIR THAT DESERVES TO BE THANKED!!!...THANK YOU SIR".

It never fails to bring a surprised smile to their face and often a tear to their eye.

What is Memorial Day? A quote found online says "A day to remember and honor those that serve, those that have served, those that have gone to rest in service, and any person serving another as an act of duty, unconditional love, devotion and obligation"

So in honor of Memorial Day I'm going to thank a few of my favorite Veterans (and the brave young men in my life that soon will leave to serve our military) for their past, present and future service to our country

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Papa G, Uncle John, Uncle Dan, Uncle Clarence, Donnie, Tony, Chad, Bretton, Matt, Phil, Jake...may God continue to keep you safe and may you always know that your past, present, future contributions and sacrifices to this country are very much appreciated.

If you would like to send some Memorial Day wishes or thoughts to a Veteran please leave a comment or two on this blog...I promise to pass them on.

It's the very least we can do....

Merci.

The Mystery Of The Sneaky Censorship At Marmie’s Library…..

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Or a good book?

I love both and have spent more time than I care to admit trying to remember the name of the first mystery book that ever held my attention. It was read to my 3rd grade class by our teacher. I can’t remember her name either, only that she wore pearls, and smelled nice. The same pearls and the same fragrance everyday. I never minded when she leaned over my desk, trying for all she was worth to help me understand a simple math problem. Her perfume and the smell of peppermint on her breath made it quite pleasurable, and because I was no math wizard she spent lots of time at my desk, delighting my olfactory.

While I hated most every other part of organized education, I loved Reading Time. Every day after lunch, our belly’s full and a bit sleepy, we students would put our heads down on our desk, faces turned toward teacher and we'd listen while she read. She used different voices for all the characters and it was almost as fun as being at the movies.

The book may have been called “The Little White Schoolhouse Mystery” or “The Little White Farmhouse Mystery" ?????

I’m still looking.

My family is full of readers. My Marmie especially devours books. She literally pulls one up to her face, buries her nose, and in what seems like only a matter of a couple of hours you’ll hear her sigh loudly as she removes her big reading glasses and closes the back cover. As if she’s just finished a delectable lobster dinner and is wiping the last bit of dripped melted butter off her chin, "Mmmmm" she'll softly say "now that was good”.

Since she’s retired and sticks to a budget Marmie borrows her books rather than buy them. She borrows arm loads of books at a time. Yesterday she mentioned to me that someone is censoring the books she reads. The borrowed library books have words crossed out. The words being crossed out aren’t what are generally considered really filthy cuss words... words like f.u.c.k or c.u.n.t.

Instead, someone is crossing out words they obviously consider blasphemous, words like goddamit, and Jesus Christ.

Marmie usually chooses her piles of books from the “New” shelf at the library and the last 10 or so books she’s borrowed have been censored. Someone is reading these books, every page, censorship ready pen in hand. The whole word is not blackened out, just a few lines through the middle, enough of it shows through so she can read what is supposed to be there.

Even still….Marnie is furious and has every right to be.

It is illegal to censor books in a public library in the United States of America where we greatly value our freedom of speech, in any form.

Author’s make word choices and those choices should be respected.

If you don’t like what someone writes, don’t read it.

As a parent I can understand and appreciate having a right to censor what my children read, but this censorship is taking place at a public library, a public library folks in the adult section….

Marmie is a super sleuth who loves a good mystery. I hope this Jerry Farwell wannabe, the reading missionary with the censoring pen is discovered or outed soon. I can tell Marmie is anxious to turn her full attention back to all those wonderful lobster dinners just waiting to be devoured.

Marmie so engrossed in her novel she forgot that she forgot to put on her bathing suit top...

How is everything?

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I like to complain a lot. Call it a case of chronic indignation if you like cause that really truly is what it is.

I think my points are valid, honest I do.

I don't like to be screwed, taken advantage of or made to look like a fool...who does?

Some people don't sweat what could be called "the small stuff"...and that's fine, to each his own.

I'll sweat enough for the lot of us.

Like at Micky D's when they put onions on my cheeseburger, when I specifically and politely ask for onion free...should I just shut up and eat it?

Daddio says yes, shut up and eat it.

That man could be served a dog turd on a bun and when the waitress came by to inquire as to its enjoyable palatability, Daddio (mouth full) would smile and mutter "fine, it was fine".

"Couldn't I at least just mention the fact that the turd was a bit overdone" I might beg Daddio.

"Just shut up and eat yours, you need the protein." would more than likely be his answer.

I'm not mean or belittling or condescending when I complain, I just want things to be as they were promised, or advertised.

My actions sometimes embarrass my family greatly. And it deep down hurt once when after a big ordeal small incident at a Michael's Crafts store where I was forced to march down an aisle and dramatically rip a sign off of a display because Ms Cashier couldn't find the sale item listed in her store circular and therefore it was not on sale and I must be totally off my rocker to be so insistent that the something I was purchasing was cheaper than it was ringing up. She didn't have to say cheapskate.... her loud sigh and over the top eye roll said it loud and clear.

Stomping back to the front of the line, whipping past the 35 customer backup in line behind me, I threw the sign down on the counter....

"Here, right here, see,     like    I     said    six    times    these   items    are    on    sale."

She begrudgingly took the three cents off of each bead, all 100 of them.

I turned and bent to be eye level with my very embarrassed children and said " I'm very sorry that I had to do this, but sometimes you just have to prove your point, it is not how much money I saved...it is the principal of the matter".

"It's okay mom" Sweet Prince Buttercup said "were used to this, you do this crap everywhere we go".

I've gotten calls recently from my darling daughter. She's been doing a lot of shopping lately and has had her "I ain't takin no shit" attitude tested. She has told many a victory tale. I am pleased as pie that she is passing this essential life skill with flying colors.

A chip off the ol' block.

I can't say the same for my sons...I am more than 100% positive, that on a regular basis, they eat rabbit pellets and dog turds without complaint.

Ohhhh say can you sing?

Last night right before the start of my son's basketball game, the crowd was asked as they always are to stand and remove their hats, it was National Anthem time.

The announcers sitting at their stats table grabbed a student to read the Athlete's Statement. The statement is read at each game and is to remind those playing, coaching or watching the ball game to play nice.

After the statement was read we waited patiently while the announcers fiddled around with their cd player. We stood and watched, waiting for the familar first bars of the Star Spangled Banner to start.

As seconds ticked by, turning into minutes I began to wonder what in the hell they were gonna do...I didn't see any of the girl soloists who normally sing the song for us in the crowd, and it was becoming apparent that the cd player was not cooperating and it wasn't going to.

I wondered if maybe they would just start the game without the song.

The announcer looked out into the crowd and said into the mic "Looks like it's up to us" he said "will you please join me".

His request was followed by a slight uncomfortable silence.

A young football/baseball coach sitting next to the announcer grabbed the mic and sang a cappela the first few words of the song.

The people in the stands started to sing. I was amazed that it was not only the veterans, or the older people in the crowd who sang, it seemed every where I looked I could see mouths moving.

It was heartwarming to hear the loudest singing coming from the student section of the bleachers.

We died down a bit when the high notes of the song proved hard for most of us to hit, but we gained strength as we sang on. By the time we got to the end of the song, the kids were really hammin it up (respectfully) and the following words were sung clear and strong.

"O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Then we gave ourselves a big hand.

My friend sitting next to me said, " Wow, its been a long time since I sang that song".

I don't recall ever singing it, I thought.

I've been to lots of games and heard that song performed a million different ways...tonight's rendition, slightly off key and proudly sung a cappella by a couple hundred regular folks was by far the most beautiful and moving I've ever heard.

I was incredibly proud of us all.

'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"