Its THAT Time Again

On Sunday The Red Wings (46-15-9) were the first team to reach 100-points and clinch a playoff berth this season, their 18th straight and the league’s longest active streak.

Go Wings!!!!

"I'm So Dizzy,

My Head is Spinning..."*

That was me a few weeks ago, if I lifted my head up from the horizontal position the whole room started to spin. I went to the doctor to find out that I had a case of Labyrinthitis. Basically I caught a cold in my inner ear. There is no cure, just like with a cold; they can only treat the symptoms with industrial strength Dramamine™. The fluid in my inner ear became a little cloudy and less viscous due to the virus. This caused an imbalance of my equilibrium. Normally the inner ear fluid if free to move and therefore helps us stay balanced. But when it thickens, the fun begins.

Our bodies are so amazing. Such a slight change can throw us off balance. This is true in all areas of our lives. If we get a little sluggish, overly tired, not eating right, neglecting time refreshing our spirit with Bible reading and prayer, we become less fluid and it throws off balance. It doesn’t take much to start the spin out of control. It is the small things, our inner ear is one of the smallest areas on our body and yet.

So what is the treatment, rest, healthy eating, and quality time spent with the Lord. Find your favorite CD of Christian praise and worship and sing to it every 4 hours until you are back in balance.


*Dizzy by Tommy Roe was #1 on April 10, 1969

“Look Into My Eyes”

Blue, green, hazel and brown, what was the color of the last person you have a conversation with? The direction of one’s gaze indicates to others where their attention is. Eye contact shows personal involvement and creates intimate bonds.

Of all the ways we communicate with people eye contact is the most powerful. The way we look or not look at someone when we are talking to them says volumns. Looking at people and meeting their eyes are the first steps toward making positive impressions and deep friendships.

There is this woman at church that I have been watching for a while. It doesn’t matter what else is going on around her, when she is talking to someone, friend or stranger, there is nothing else in her immediate focus. She will look directly at you while she is engaged in conversation, totally interested in your every word as if it is the meaning of life and death. She does this in a way that gives the other person value and security. I’m not sure she even knows she is doing it. If it isn’t natural for her, she has done an excellent job in learning this skill.

I have a bad habit, or a natural tendency, to know everything that is going on in a room so I can jump in and help someone else. This is good when I’m not talking to someone, but the reality is that I probably come off cold and un-caring when I talk to someone in a public setting. Get me in a one on one situation and I do a little better, but I am still aware of everything happening around me.

Lord help me to be able to focus on the person in front of me and to give them my undivided attentions.

Matt 6:22

Friends - On Purpose

I have a Facebook account ; it is fun to keep track of ‘friends’ and what they are up to. You add Friends that you want to be connected to or stay in contact with. In face it was a friend from New Mexico that convinced me to sign up for Facebook. It is an easy way for us to connect on a daily basis if we choose. In some aspects I think social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linked In are also bad for relationships, if we don’t watch out our friendships will become casual.

Starting this weekend I will be attending church at our new 2nd campus and that means that I won’t be able to have our normal brief chat and hug each Sunday with some of my closest friends. I remember the night I told one of my friends that we wouldn’t be together on Sundays and she got mad at me. She felt as if I was abandoning her. My response to her was that it only meant that we had to be more intentional in our friendship and not just let it happen on Sundays.

I have some close friends that live in other parts of the country and I have to work at being On Purpose with those relationships because of the distance between us. I have friends that live within a few short miles of my house and it seems that I am don’t spend much more time with them than I do my long distant relationships. I can sometimes take them for granted.

Deliberate, planned, designed, purposed, intended, calculated, prearranged, premeditated. Are these words that describe your friendships or do you like most of us take them for granted? So what is a friend, per good old Webster they are person you know well and regard with affection and trust.

I continue to be On Purpose with my friends even in these busy times.

Prov 27:6; 17:17

green bananas

Each week my husband buys a small bunch of bananas for us to eat during the week. I really don’t like overly ripened bananas so we only have a few in the house at a time. Some weeks we run out of them because it seems that everyone is eating them and then other weeks they get too ripe and I have to throw them out. There are not many things that bother me as much as throwing out food. I would rather run out and have to get more then to waste it. Maybe that comes from the days in my past when food was scarce and I went to bed hungry some nights. Anyways back to the bananas.

Bananas are shipped into our region so they are not always the ripest when we bring them home. We had a bunch of bananas in the house a few weeks ago that were so under-ripe they were almost a florescent green color. I had to do a double take when I first saw them. I guess the correct term would be that they were raw. In that state they are really not very good for you to eat unless you actually cook them. So we hung them on the banana hanger and waited; waited for them to ripen. It took several days but they finally did ripen into something that was eatable and rather good for you.

I find myself like those bananas sometime, flat out raw, not yet ready for general consumption. I need to sit and ripen for awhile. Seems funny when you consider that I am over 50 and yet I still have to ripen in some areas of my life. I am formed in the right image, just not ripe yet. If I were to run out and do what I was created to do that early I would cause a great big stomach ache. Instead I have to hang around for awhile and let that part of me, that skill, that dream, that idea, that vision, that desire ripen until I have reached the state where I am rich with nutrition and sweet to be around.

So as I hang here and ripen, please don’t throw me out, I will come out the perfect fruit.

Col 3:10

A Handshake Said It All

It is common practice in the US and in most cultures to greet each other with a handshake, especially upon the 1st introduction. Handshakes tell a lot about a person. Do you make direct eye contact? Do you initiate the handshake, demonstrating your eagerness to meet the other person? Nobody likes a limp handshake. You show respect for yourself and the other person through a handshake.

It was a bright sunny, Sunday morning and I was greeting at the front doors of our old church building. A stranger walked up and I immediately reached out to take his hand and introduce myself. We had never met before but as soon as his eyes lit up and his warm hand grasped mine, I knew I had met a special man. By that one handshake many years ago I knew that he was a kind, gentle and caring man; a man that knew who he was and had lived through much only to come out of every situation better.

I remember that handshake and every other one afterwards and came to know him as someone I would call a friend. Always quick to take my hand in his and just say hi. Never in a hurry, there is always time. Over the years his body became weaker, but the warmth and gentle strength of his handshake has never lessened.

This week my friend Manfred shook the hand of Jesus face-to-face.

I will forever remember that handshake.

Latest Read

The way it should be

Part of the Process

Earlier this week I had a minor surgical procedure on my shoulder and things are going better than expected, my doctor is even surprised, Thank You Jesus. Now it is just time for the healing to take place.

With any healing it is a process, I have more mobility and less pain every day. I have bruises that have started to appear and are now going through the various stages of color dark purple to green to yellow. I have a rash from the bandage tape that is fading. The worst part is the stitches. I have two of them and with each day they are becoming more and more of a nuisance. As I have more use of that arm they tend to pull, and itch! My goodness they itch, I know that is a good indication of the healing and I will resist the urge to pull them out myself and wait until Monday and let the doctor do it.

Physical healing is a process but so is emotional. We all experience the pain, irritation and the different phases of healing. Just like with the stitches we would love to pull out and skip that part, but we are only truly healed and not scarred if we allow the full process to take place.

Objects May Be Closer Then They Appear

A mirror is used to show us where we have been or what we look like now.

Remove the reflective surface from the back of a mirror and it becomes a lens that can help us get a clear image of where we are going.

2008 In Review

2008 In Review

On January 1st, 2008 this is what I wrote in my journal:
“A new year; a year of change, a year of not wasting opportunity, a year for stronger relationships, a year of better discipline and a year with a deeper time with the Lord.”

Here are some key moments recorded via the blog:

January – new job – I really struggled to be respected in my last job and searched not only for a new job but my heart for the right attitude where I was. Then during the break between Christmas and New Years I came upon a listing on Monstor.com and in just 3 weeks I started on a new endeavor. And here it has been nearly 12 months and even with lots of changes in this uncertain world I am enjoying what I do.

February – Aunt Agnes – When you are 95 and have lived life to the fullest I guess we shouldn’t complain that she is at rest. The times I think about, talk about or remember my Aunt aren’t very far apart; she was such a highlight to our lives.

May – Need a Knee Replacement – this was the diagnosis that I got and what did I do with that? I joined the Y and started exercising to strengthen the other muscles and tendons around the damaged one to make my knee more stable. This has turned into one of the best things for my health. At the time I started I could hardly make 10 minutes on the treadmill without too much pain, today I rip off 60 minutes at 8% incline 2 or three nights a week and I am planning on climbing Mt St Helens this summer. It also has helped me to lose 20+ pounds, now who could complain about that?

June – Wings – What can you say, one of the best sports team ever won AGAIN.

July – Orange County Fair – Kyle and I spent a pleasant weekend in Orange County, taking advantage of one of my business trips. That is one thing that I really love about my husband is that he likes to just get away for a day or two to be together.

August – visitors – This summer I had the opportunity to have both my sisters come out for a visit. I enjoy visiting with my sisters and I know it is a blessing to my mom.

October – vacation – What an amazing experience it is to visit Washington DC. You can complain about our country but until you have had to opportunity to visit other nations you just don’t understand how truly blessed we are and how blessed this nation is.

December – discipline – I set goals and objective for myself and one of the key ones is daily reading of the bible. This year I was able to read through the Bible four times by reading 20 pages a day. Every time I do this I learn a little more about our Heavenly Father and about myself.

Irritating Challenge

Christmas day I was irritated with my mom for the puzzle she picked to do. One of the few Christmas traditions our family has is to do a jigsaw puzzle on Christmas Day. This year, just like last year she had saved a really difficult puzzle for the two of us to work on together. I took one look at it and knew it would be up to me to do that puzzle because she wouldn’t be able to and it really wasn’t one I wanted to work on. I let her work on it and I puttered around doing just about anything else except work on that puzzle.

The next day when I got up I almost just put the puzzle away because I had a rotten attitude but instead I sat down and started working on it and it turned out that I got totally engrossed in it and almost finished it that evening. I had to make myself stop so that there would be some left for my mother to do when she came back over on New Year’s Day.

I totally got involved in the challenge of getting it figured out and completed. A puzzle I didn’t even want to start and was upset about having to work on turned out to be fun and I felt good about getting it done.

How often do we look at challenges in our lives as I did that puzzle, something that we just don’t want to do, something that we dread and would rather just put away and not do it. Any just like that puzzle the sense of accomplishment that comes for doing something we just don’t feel we can.

Katlynn and I making snow angels

Katelynn's Snowman

FW: Gingerbread house!

Simple Home Remedies

1. If you're choking on an ice cube, simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.

2. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

3. Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers ~ simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mousetrap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you'll be afraid to cough.

7. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

8. Remember - everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

9. If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Daily thought: Some people are like slinkies - not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

How Did I Get Here?

Yesterday in the office it was all quiet and then U heard the guy in the office next to me say, “How did I get here?” My reply; “Isn’t that what we are all asking ourselves.”

As small children we see ourselves growing up to be Doctors, Lawyers or Video Game designer all in one day. Then as we grow and experience more of life we start to see ourselves in the Real world and our goals change and become more focused as we set off to college pursuing an education that will ultimately bring us to our career.

Then at some point we sit and wonder, ‘how did I get here’. Circumstance, planning, lack of planning and other outside influences bring us to where we are and it may not have been what we thought it would be 30, 20 or even just 5 years ago.

I grew up in a Detroit suburb where most men I knew, neighbors, uncles, and friends of my parents worked for one of the BIG 3 in the auto industry. When I graduated from college with a Mechanical Engineering degree everyone assumed that I would work for the Big 3. I purposely sought out a career that was as far away as possible from the Auto Industry. It has always been a mis-managed industry and still is today. However, today I work for a company where 98% of customers are Automobile Dealers. Not exactly the Big 3 but as close as you can get. Interesting isn’t it.

At the end my life I don’t want to worry about should have, could have and would have. How did I get here is not the important questions but where am I going.

Can I Have Your Attention Please

One of our cats has developed a new habit. I’m not so sure I like this habit and I’m not even sure where she got it from. If I am sitting on the couch watching TV or working on the laptop she will come up to me wanting my attention. If I don’t acknowledge her then she starts to head butt my arm. It is not just the normal cat thing where they will rub their head against you, but she hauls off and smacks me with the top of her head. This she continues to do until she has my attention. This all started about a week ago. Trust me it is a pretty effective way to get my attention.

It has been a very busy few weeks for me. Family events, moving my mom to a new place, spending time with my friends, working out trying to get back in shape, busy days at work, software upgrades, holidays. All good things, all necessary things, but when is it too much. Have I been so busy that I miss taking the time to talk to the checkout girl in the store? Miss the chance to sit with one of the lonely folks at the nursing home. Miss the chance to take someone out for lunch?

My cat is has just found a subtle way to remind me that we all need attention during the busy, busy time.

Newton's 3rd Law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

* Smile at a baby and the baby smiles back.
* Tickle a child and hear them giggle.
* Be kind to someone and watch them smile.

Today we live in a society where you can do almost anything you want and never have to think about the effect you will have on someone else. We don’t teach our children about consequences for their actions. We live our secret lives never expecting anyone to find out.

Any yet, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It will hurt someone else.

Let’s think about what we do and the impact it has on other and have a positive effect.

My New Best Friend

In May I started working out at the YMCA. I went to be with friends, to get this body into better shape and to keep from having a knee replacement. In the last 6 months I have lost at least one size in clothing, went from not able to walk on the treadmill for 3 minutes to easily doing 60 minutes at 10% incline as a warm-up and have met a few new friends along the way. One of those friends is a bag of frozen peas.

To be honest, I have never been easy on my body, always pushing it to do things it was never meant to do. I played sports and what I lacked in natural ability I made up for in determination and persistence. That is in part why today I have one knee that was rebuilt in the mid-70s and the other needs some major work.


Each night I come home from the Y and grab my bag of peas out of the freeze and sit at my computer or in front of the TV with that bag on a sore body part, a knee, a foot, a shoulder. I know that without my buddy the peas I would be unable to continue the workouts so we have this wonderful relationship where we spend just the right about of time together, not too short and definitely not too long (have you ever had frost bite on your shoulder? I have.)

As I think of it that bag of peas is like family. They help you to remember who you are, they ease some of the pain of life, but you sure don’t want to spend too much time with them.

So next time you have an ache get yourself a bag of frozen peas.

If I Never

If I never tried,
………………… I would not fail
………………… I would not over come
……………….. I would not succeed

If I never cared,
………………… I would not feel rejected
………………… I would not feel satisfaction
………………… I would not feel as if I truly lived

If I never loved,
………………… I would not know heart ache
………………… I would not know true happiness
………………… I would not know true love

Leadership is not........

I was thinking about leadership the other night. Getting people to do task, to participate is more than just telling them what to do. In my career I have had the opportunity to have people report to me and have had the opportunity to lead many cross functional teams where I have no real authority over any of them.

People often think that Leadership is about ‘Telling’ someone what to do, but the truth is leadership is about having the ability to get people to ‘want’ to do things. You get them to want to because you have created a case showing them what the benefits or values are in completing the task. You get people to follow your leadership out of respect for you because they trust that you have a great good in mind and aren’t just doing it for self. Or people follow your leadership because they see where what you are doing will improve them or what they want.

I have had Leaders that I willingly followed and I have had Leaders that I had to follow. Given the choice I would choose a leader that I wanted to follow.

A true leader does not need to bark out commands or threaten.

Leadership is not…..


DICTATORSHIP

Shhh, Listen

The tick, tick, tick of clock on the wall, the sound of a train running through the valley and an occasional car diving buy on the rain slicked roads. The house is quiet tonight. I enjoy the quiet.


It is nice to just have quiet.

Veterans Day

Remember those that have served so that we can be free. It might just be one of your co-workers, uncles, brother, or sisters. Everyone of them,living or dead deserve a heart felt thanks today and every day.

Flooded Fields

My normal commute takes me through some very pretty farm country. Now that we are into the fall and it is dark going to and coming home from work I usually don’t pay attention to the scenery but this morning in the dark I caught a faint reflection out of the corner of my eye and when I looked over to the left it appeared as if I was driving along a lake. Over the weekend the river that runs through the valley had risen over its banks leaving the field flooded. As the night sky lightened I could see that most of the area had standing water and the horses that once grazed in that larger pasture were now in a small pen next to the house up on a hill.

Farming along a river has many advantages; the soil is rich, the water is plentiful and the land is flat. However, there is the price you pay for the seasonal flooding. Flooding in this valley is common and that means the residents are more than able and prepared to handle it. It is a price that the owners of this land pay for all the benefits that it offers.

There is always a price to pay; we just need to make sure the benefit out ways the cost.

Factory Reset

Two of our IT staff work out of the same Office I am in. Today one of them got the infamous Blue Screen of Death on his lap top. That was when we started talking about the Special Blue Button on our IBM ThinkPads. Pushing that the blue button walks you through the steps to reformat the hard drive and then reinstall the software that was part of the original factory installation.

What if there was a Blue Button that would allow us to go to a factory reset of our bodies. No more wrinkles, no more scares from the bumps and bruises of life, no more heart ache from being misunderstood and offended. We push the blue button and we are reset to the way we were designed to be.

Just 5 Little Words

“Home is where the heart is”, “Home, Sweet Home” both phrases are common. But what is a home?

Almost 4 years ago I relocated my mom from her home to here. The previous 73yrs Michigan had been the only place she had ever lived. She endured the extreme cold and feet of snow every winter, the high heat and humidity every summer. All that doesn’t change a thing in her heart, it will always be home.

While a residential dwelling is often referred to as a "home," the concept of home is broader than a physical dwelling. Home is often a place of refuge and safety, where worldly cares fade and the things and people that one loves becomes the focus.

Today I was with my mom as we prepare to move her to her 3rd residence in less than 4 years. My mom doesn’t share much of what she if feeling. She tends to just go with the flow, on the outside at least. During that interview she was asked to write any phrase or sentence that came to mind. She wrote 5 little words that had so much power and completely described the impact of what was happening to her.

She has Parkinson’s disease and every day she loses just a little more of that ability to control her body. She keeps being socially engaged in anything she possibly can. To take her outside and allow her to sit in the sun and enjoy the fresh air or to be able to listen to or sing along to music are the things that she enjoys most now.

That phrase, I want to go home.

What do I think?

I am sitting here after 11pm on Election night I was just asked “What do I think?” My response, “What changed, this is still the best country in the world, we still have the ability to elect our leaders, no one man controls this country or makes our laws or policies. So what changed?” Yes we will have a new President.

So what changed, this great country of ours elected its first non-White president. I sit here and remember vividly the 5 days of pure hell that occurred in 1967 approximately 50 miles from my home. I am talking about the Detroit riots. After the 1st day of the riots my dad took my sister and I out and showed us where his gun was, where the ammo was and how to fire the weapon. I was 11 and my sister was 15. We were taught how to defend our home and our younger siblings incase anything happened while my mom and dad were at work. All it took was one call from my uncle who was a Detroit Cop and we were on alert status.

The origins of urban unrest in Detroit were rooted in a multitude of political, economic, and social factors including police abuse, lack of affordable housing, urban renewal projects, economic inequality, black militancy, and rapid demographic change.

Our election results are truly historical. I am proud of how far this country has come in the last 40+ years. What do I think? This man will work within the confines of our Constitution and do what he truly feels is best for this country. I may not agree with the direction but I will continue to pray for wisdom and clarity for our president and all those around him.

Healthy Foods

I was doing a little web reading today during lunch and ran across an interesting article on 7 foods that fight over-40 fat. Since I am over-40 (52 to be exact) and have a desire to burn off some of the EXTRA fat I have been carrying, this article caught my attention.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that 3 of the items on the list are already a normal part of my life. 1) Water instead of Soft drinks. I cut out unnecessary sugar – no soft drinks, pastries, candy – in my mid- 40s and until recently my weight stayed in check. 2) Eat Walnuts. My favorite snack is walnuts; every weekend when my husband goes to the grocery store he buys me a small bag of walnuts. I ask for the small bag because I have trouble not eating the entire bag so a small one is perfect. 3) Hot Sauce. Anyone that knows me knows that when eating out I use jalapenos or Tabasco sauce on just about everything. I love tasty spicy food. It is true, it makes me feel good.

So what is the point of this, it is just one of those days where I needed to look at what I am doing right and decided to share.

The Right Atmosphere

Think about the Lunar Module. These ships were designed to land on the moon and protect the astronauts that were on board of it. When you see one up close one of the first things that jumps out at you is how fragile it really looks. Did you know that the same materials that are used for helium party balloons were a major part of the Lunar Module? Look closely at this picture and you will see that the reflective material is in fact a gold coated Mylar foil that is about 0.0005in think. The Lunar Module was designed for a specific atmosphere; it functioned best in that atmosphere.

We are designed for a specific atmosphere and it is when we can control our atmosphere that we are at our peak performance. We can protect our atmosphere by what we allow to be around us. We need to protect what we see and hear. We need to provide the proper rest and nutrition for our bodies to thrive. We need to provide an atmosphere that is full of life to live a life that is full.

Vacation - Day 7

On our final touring day we decided to take the 14 mile drive south to Mt Vernon, VA. This was the mansion of George Washington. We were able to go through the house and around the grounds. Washington was truly an intelligent man.

After we finished up at Mt Vernon we drove into the city of Alexandria and visited the Carlyle House, a Mansion on the river that was built in 1753 and restored in the 1970’s. After that we walked around town before stopping for a late lunch and a stop at Starbucks before heading back to our motel.

Currently we are packed as much as we can be for an early departure tomorrow. Over all a very good trip, one that we will remember and share with our grand kids some day.

Mt Vernon

Vacation - Day 6

This morning we got up with a plan, a plan to start out at the American History Museum. This Museum is home to the original Star Spangled Banner, the history of West Point and other important items from American History.

We parked the car and walked up to The Mall and across it to find the American History Museum. We ended up off by one street and not very far from the National Archives so we stopped there first. Inside we were able to view the original Bill of Rights, Constitution, Declaration of Independence and other documents from our nation’s history. Trying to preserve these documents meant that the lighting in the building was kept low and flash photography was not allowed so there were no pictures to post.

After a couple of hours there we went to the American History Museum only to find that it was closed until November 21st for renovation.

Since our plan was shot we decided to hop back on the tour bus and just go from there. We ended up getting off in Georgetown for lunch at Johnny Rockets and then hopped off again to visit the Spy Museum.

We probably walked another 4 to 5 miles in total today, and I can finally say I am starting to feel it.

Union Station

Smithsonian Castle

Lunch @ Johnny Rockets

Vacation - Day 5

Yesterday was an easy day; we slept in and took our time having breakfast. Isn’t that the object of a vacation is to rest and take it easy? That is what we did.

On one of our previous days of touring we found a place that had free parking with unlimited time. Most of the free spots in DC are limited to 2 or 3 hours. The only downside is that it was by the Jefferson Memorial and so there was a little bit of a walk to get to The Mall.

We parked and walked up to The Mall where we jumped on to one of the Hop-on/ Hop-off tour busses. This bus went not only around The Mall but also to some of the outlying sites, like Georgetown, Union Station, and Ford Theater.

We hopped off at Ford Theater, the location where President Lincoln was shot. The theater its self was closed for renovations so we went in and saw the house where Lincoln was taken and later died. After that short visit we went to the Hard Rock Café for lunch. Here we had a really nice waitress who even laughed at Kyle’s jokes.

From there we hopped back onto the tour bus and headed out to Washington National Cathedral and Embassy Row. Finally ending up back in front of the Dept of Agriculture where we hopped off and headed back to the car and the end of day 5

White House Front Lawn

Vacation - Day 4

Today we started out early for a not the normal tourist event. We had the privilege of attending a full honors military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony was one of Honor and Respect all the way around. Air Force Lieutenant Coronel Carl Copemen died recently of from a heart attack after living a full life. He fought in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam as well as being one of the original members of the Test Pilot unit with Chuck Yeager. The Ceremony included a process ion through the cemetery by an Air Force Band, Brigade and a Caisson drawn by six white horses. It ended with a grave side service with taps and a 21 gun salute. This man chose to serve and did so with Honor and was remembered today with Honor. May we never forget.

We also visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and it was there that we witness the pride that one old man felt for his country. His finger out stretched as much as the arthritic knuckles would allow as he showed his companions the places and the battles he fought. The memories more vivid then his voice and yet the pride was there for all that he had done. May we never forget.

Our next stop was the Holocaust Museum. I have seen firsthand Auschwitz and Birkenau, but the images and impact of the slaughter of Jews during WWII are real and potent. May we never forget.

From there we rode the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument and looked out all four sides seeing the monuments and memorials that stand in remembrance and respect for the greatest democracy of the world. May we never forget.

Jefferson Memorial

Capital Building

White House from the top of the Washington Monument

Washington Monument

Lunar Module @ Air and Space Museum

Vacation - Day 3

Today was an easier day. We met up with my sister, brother-in-law and his mom for the day. We spent at least 30 minutes looking for a parking spot. That is one thing that is really hard to come by in DC is any place to park. When we did find one, it was right on the corner next to the Capital Building and it did not have a time limit (most spots in DC have a 2 hr limit).

Our 1st start was the Botanic Gardens where we checked out all the plants from around the world. We then spent a little time walking around in front of the Capital Building but we didn’t get there early enough for a tour inside. After that we walked along the mall to the National Museum of Natural History. It was here that we spent the rest of our touring day looking at dinosaur bones, gems and mineral including the Hope and Pearson diamonds, petrified wood and other natural items.

We have an early morning planned and we were all tired from the heat and sun so it will be a quiet night tonight.

Capital Building

Vacation – Day 2

Today was our first full day in DC, actually the DC area since our hotel is in Arlington, Virginia across the street from Ft Myers. At best estimate we walked 10 miles to day. Thanks P Lori and the RC Posse without all those hours at the Y on the treadmill and I wouldn’t have been able to make it.

Sites seen today:
Arlington National Cemetery
Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Arlington House (Home of Robert E Lee before the Civil War)
Iwo Jima Marine Corp Memorial (photo below)
The Washington Monument
The WW II Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Korean Memorial
Jefferson Memorial

A pretty full day if I do say so.

Reflection Pool

Iwa Jima Memorial

View of DC

Curve Ahead

A couple of months ago my sister was here visiting from the Midwest. We did various day trips visiting the sites and having fun. On one afternoon as we were on our way home for the night she asked, “Do you have any straight roads?” I thought of that this morning as I was cruising through the back country roads on my way to work. The roads wind around the hills and along the river so there are no straight portions.

Just like in life there really aren’t very many straight portions. We head off on a course but to get to our end goal we have twist and turns, climb and decent, and the ever painful switchbacks where it seems we are just repeating the steps we have taken before. Curves are put in the road to make our travels safer and simpler. It may not seem so at the time, but I know that some of the greatest moments in my travel have come when I round a curve and find the most splendid view imaginable.

It Arrived Today

I now have my new copy of the latest book by Nicholas Sparks: The Lucky One.