Hump Day Miscellany

I spoke with my daughter, TL, this morning. She and her family live in Melbourne, FL, right where TS Fay is stalled. Boy, are they getting dumped on! However, the family is safe and sound, tucked in at home, and just waiting it out. They live in the north part of Brevard County and fortunately escaped the tornadoes. The kids got in one day of school on Monday before the storm hit and kept them home, and both of them are chomping at the bit to get back to school. I understand that. I loved school as a kid. I was always ready for summer vacation to be over and to be back in the classroom with my friends. Does that make me a nerd? ;) Probably!

As I read the comics this morning, several of them struck me with stories or thoughts. And you know me .... I'm gonna share them.


See that sign on the wall? It occurred to me that this is how many (most?) of us live our lives. Sad. If you remember your history, Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk in the Oval Office that said, "The Buck Stops Here." What happened to that standard? Not just politicians, but everyday people like us? Why do we pass the responsibility on rather than own our mistakes, correct what has gone wrong? I find that sad. I try to live up to my own admonition. I don't always make it, but I try. But I see many who seem to not even try. There is a sense of joy at pinning mistakes on others. I don't get it.




This stirred a family memory. I was just about 3 weeks shy of my eighth birthday when my oldest nephew was born. We grew up more like siblings than aunt and nephew. When he was around two no one could understand him when he talked. No one but me. I translated, even for his mom, my sister, a lot of the time. I couldn't understand why the adults didn't understand him. Yes, he talked funny and really fast, but hey! My dad called him "The Little Dutchman."In fact, my father taught him to recite a little rhyme, to my mother's dismay. And to my mom's heightened embarrassment, my nephew said it slowly and distinctly so everyone understood!!

I'm a little Dutchman,
And I drink beer.
It makes my tummy
Stick a-way out here!!
(the last line accompanied by rubbing his round little belly, of course!)

As he grew up, he spoke very clearly. I wonder if his own early experiences with oral challenges in any way influenced his decision to become a dentist. 'Spose?

Who takes care of you when you're sick? These days, it's myself. I remember having flu when I was a very young mother, around 21 or 22. Scott had it also, and we were pukey, high fevers, generally yucky. My hub was not, repeat NOT, a good caregiver. He simply didn't know what to do for sick people. I managed to fix soup for S and me for several days, and when he was home, the hub did his part to try to cook (more soup!) and looked at us sympathetically. But after three or four days of this, I'd had it. You see, he didn't wash any of the dishes, and I was too weak to stand up long enough to do it, so we ran out of dishes and pans. I made him drive us 180 miles to my parents' home so that my mom and gramma could take care of us! By the next day we were both much better thanks to the TLC. OK, it was probably in part that the flu had run its course, as well.




My dogs have this down pat!! Anything that rattles a little bit like a package of food brings them running from the farthest corner of the house! Now, why is that? Few of their foods come in crinkly packaging, and I don't give them junk food. How do they know?? Dogs are amazing little critters. Do your pets know when you're getting ready to eat something they shouldn't .... OK, we shouldn't, either!!! .... have?? Really, how do they do it??

Comments and opinions on any of the above are welcome. Tell us your story about these things. Go ahead .... make my day!!

:D