Would you please tell me who came up with the bright idea of selling the management rights for our ports??!! For God’s sake, have that person run to his nearest clinic for an MRI, to see if he HAS ANY BRAINS!!
I suppose selling the rights sounds LUCRATIVE. And in these days, when government is having trouble making ends meet, I know they are grasping at any straw to keep from having to make cuts or raise taxes, again! But, did ANYONE suggest there might be a problem with letting the security of our ports out of our hands? Why sell the rights to another country, when, if it HAD to be sold, it could have been sold to an American company? Were they just a bit greedy when it was time to sell the contracts?
It seems to me that between the mismanagement of the disaster due to hurricanes in the south, and selling the contract for port management, our Homeland Security is in serious trouble, and SO ARE WE!
Perhaps ten years ago, I read that one in every four Americans earns their living through some form of government. Village, city, township, county,state and federal government, police, national guard, the military and our justice system. Three of us have to pay enough taxes to support one of them, AND the services and improvements we need. I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty bleak picture to me. When is government going to figure out that it’s way past time to cut back? Do you think we could simply pick a percentage and cut back EVERYTHING? Less welfare, fewer cops, less pay for government jobs, less overseas aid, government documents printed in ENGLISH only?
And while we are at it, let’s privatize more of what needs to be done, with contracts to be let to American citizens only. Privatize the security for the ports, if necessary, but establish the requirements that every company must meet for every port. They can choose to do more, but they have to meet the minimums.
Is that unrealistic? We need to create jobs for Americans, and we need to cut back on costs to Americans. Couldn’t the two go hand in hand?
I’m rambling, I know. But what you should walk away with is my feeling that our government needs a serious overhaul. It’s run amok, and doesn’t understand that the people it serves are more important than it is. Rather than meeting the needs of the people, it prevents them from getting the help they need. Don’t you think it’s time for a change?

Good news!
The tech called me yesterday to tell me that Ed had his procedure done on Tuesday afternoon. In the following 24 hours, he ate all his wet food, drank all his water and ate some of his dry food. He gained TWO OUNCES by Wednesday, when she called me.
She called again tonight, and I may be able to bring Ed home on Friday evening.
There are restrictions for the next two weeks, but they are not quite as rigorous as we believed. I think the family can carry this off.

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Dear Husband says that when our current pet dies, that’s it for us and pets. Of course we have been disregarding his pronouncements. A house without pets?? Unthinkable!
Well, actually it is thinkable. We’re both allergic to cats and dogs. If Dear Husband touches a pet, he has to wash his hands right away, or risk eyes that swell and water. I’m not as allergic to them as he is, but I observe the same rituals.
I realize that the no pet rule, coupled with an intense cleaning, and perhaps even confining my fabric and sewing to one room might be a wise idea in terms of our health. But, I believe that the physical contact and emotional bonding you have with a pet is just as necessary to good health.
And that is what brings me to what I really want to write about.

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Yesterday, we were sitting in the great room, when Dear Husband asked, “Is that a robin?”
I swiveled around and searched the branches of the trees to the west of the house. It took me a while, but finally I saw the bird he was looking at. I waited a moment, and when the bird turned a bit, I saw the red breast. “YES!!! It’s a robin!”
I watched for a bit, and realized there was another. “We have TWO…..wait….THREE…..NO!! FOUR!!!” Actually we had six or seven robins sitting up in the branches, sunning themselves on a cold February Sunday.
It’s easily a month early for these birds to be returning. The ground is still frozen, and the worms are hibernating. Warmer weather is on it’s way, but yesterday was quite frigid, and not the weather they are used to.
I’d like for them to stick around, but only if it means that Spring is coming early. Otherwise, maybe we should shoo them southward, so that they stay warm and healthy.
Welcome back, robins…..but only if you’re sure this is the right time.

It’s very odd to have a rainy day in the middle of February. We have a weather front coming in that is giving us a rainy day that will most likely lead into a week of much more common winter weather.
It’s gray outside. Everything is wrapped in layers of fog, and the trees are dripping from the last shower. We’ve had sleet, and hail, and rain, and light showers. As the temperatures drop this evening, we’ll probably see the start of a couple of days of snow.
Sitting here in the office, I just heard thunder, followed by the low, mournful sound of a train whistle. The tracks are at least a mile away, but the damp air has carried the sound to us.
It’s a good day for a nap.

This morning, a man I didn’t know opened a door for me…..and I was surprised!
It shows what our manners have come to that what used to be a common kindness should surprise me.
I had stopped to give the title company a waiver. Just as I left my car, it began to rain in earnest. I put up my umbrella, and closed the bag I was carrying and headed for the door. Two men were talking in the doorway, protected from the rain by an overhang. One of them opened the door for me, even though he was not passing through. I thanked him.
On the way out, his companion did the same for me. It was a simple gesture of kindness that used to be very commonplace, but today, in the gray, rainy weather, it seemed unusually nice.
When I graduated from college, women had just begun to think of themselves as “liberated.” That meant that you didn’t have to wait for men to open your door; you could do it yourself. Or, better yet, you could open the door for them. I felt the basic idea needed to be adjusted a bit. If there is someone behind me, I hold the door for them. It doesn’t matter if the person is male or female; I hold the door. I am especially careful to help those older than I am, and mothers whose hands are full.
I can’t actually remember the last time a man other than my husband held the door for me, but I bet I can guess who it was. We have a friend who is in his mid-forties, who has lovely manners. I bet the last time we went to dinner together, he held the door. I know that he helps me into his car, and closes the car door when we travel together. But, this man is the exception to the rule.
It incenses me when a younger man strides through the door, and lets it slap shut in my face. I wish I could say to them, “When do you plan to take a course in manners?” But, that would be rude. It seems we are so concerned with ourselves that we have let what used to be taken for granted slip out of existence.
Manners……I miss ye! Maybe we should all practice those random acts of kindness, and hold doors open for each other.

This has been a really tough year. I feel like the Al Capp character who went around with a dark cloud over his head all the time.
I learned this week that one of my nieces has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
I know that medical research has made stunning inroads on breast cancer in my lifetime. I know there are a number of amazing new treatments available to my niece, and that she will get the very best care. I know that she has the love and support of her family, and of friends. I know she is a strong woman, and that she will make it through this. But I’m still scared for her.

There are times when you have to plan ahead to use leftovers. Dear Husband is not a huge fan of ham. We do one a couple of times a year, and he suffers in silence. Wednesday, when my niece and her boys were coming to dinner, I thought I would do a ham, so that DH didn’t have so many left overs to deal with.
Ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, green salad and brownies. Something for everyone.
I planned two meals for the left overs.

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This afternoon about an hour before the sun went down, I partially filled the bird feeder. I had forgotten to do it this morning when we returned from exercise. I knew that if I filled the feeder I would get to watch the cardinals.
For most of December we had four pairs of cardinals. I was fretting about the low number, but I knew that there were a lot of feeders throughout the neighborhood to the west of us, so I thought that the cardinals were just spread out a bit thin.
I was pleased to be able to count seven male cardinals this evening. It was interesting to see the pecking order going on. For the most part the cardinals will play nicely with other birds but insist on a pecking order within their own group.
As the light faded I could see the male cardinals flitting back and forth from their perches in the shrubs, but it was a lot more difficult to pick out the female cardinals, with their protective coloration. They blended right into the shrubbery, as they are meant to.
I don’t know if the cardinal count will climb at all, but I plan to continue putting out a mix that will draw them.

I visited Blue Witch’s blog tonight and came across this quote by Anthony Trollope:
“And above all things, never think that you’re not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. My belief is that in life people will take you at your own reckoning.”
I was taken by the last sentence, and asked Dear Husband if he agreed with Trollope. Without hesitation, he said yes.
We didn’t discuss it any further, but it’s been lurking in the back of my mind. It seems to me that the average person behaves as he perceives himself. I agree with Trollope’s advice, but I think his caution should have been not to let others color your opinion of yourself.
I know a number of people who describe themselves as “blue-collar” workers, or “grunts,” or even “mushrooms.” “Peons,” “serfs,” general dog’s-bodies”…..there are all sorts of names, most of which are not fit for polite company, that are used to identify people who are not in a position of power. Generally, those terms are negative in connotation. How does a person who has been labled with one of these terms preserve a positive view of himself?
I am one of those people who believes that you can be a success at any job. While money is nice, it isn’t everything. The quality of your work, and your commitment to your work is more important to me, whether you are a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or the man running carts at the local grocery store.
Usually the person who makes less money is thought of in more negative terms. Money frequently equates to power and status. In our material age, how do you disregard class attitude to live a happy life? If you have to work at a job you don’t care for to be able to put food on the table, how does that affect your sense of self?
I don’t have the answers, just the questions. Here’s one more. Do you suppose Trollope was contemplating Will Shakespeare, who said: “This above all: to thine own self be true…” ?