Five from "g"

1.  A new planet has just been discovered.  And you get to
name it.  What name do you choose and why?
Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides ... This is
the longest scientific name for something, and this planet
will be a 'long-long way' away from earth. Fits well, don't
you think?

2.  What would be your 3 main laws (rules) if you ran your
own country?
1) Worship God 2) Love your fellow man  3)Honor the
President (even if you didn't vote for him) 

3.  What villain from literature or history do you relate
to the most? Frodo; Lord of The Rings.  
Why? He represents people who try really hard to live up to 
their calling in life, but find it difficult at times.

4.  What, if any, is the value of optimism? At the very
least, it helps one keep a positive outlook on life.

5.  What annoys you most about technology?
All the 'stuff' one needs to remember. Especially where
software is concerned. I do alright with things I do on
a consistent basis. But remembering codes and things a year
from now ... NOT LIKELY! If I don't write it down somewhere
(& remember where I put it), then I'm in trouble. 

Me Mudda & Brudda

Well, I'm feeling very connected to my family once again. Seeing my kids (& grandson) last week got me thinking about my dear ol' Mom living in South Florida. And my mind went back to my last visit with her before moving to Maine. That's when this picture was taken.

She is such a WONDERFUL mother! She knows how difficult it is for me to come and see her right now, so she made plans to visit me in Maine ... all the way from South Florida. I almost can't believe it! She's going on 90 years old and has chronic back pain, but she is still willing to attempt the trip.

My older sister and her husband are making the trip too. Mom is flying to my sisters in Virginia, then they will be taking a road for several days visiting other family in New York. The big trip ends with us in Maine. I feel SO blessed, and I can't wait to see my mother again!

Words of Wisdom

Last week I took a few days to visit my kids in Virginia. Josey and I took my grandson for an afternoon, and decided we would go to the new Marine Corps Museum (www.usmcmuseum.com) at Quantico. It actually opened a few years ago while I still lived there, but I never got around to visit it. I passed it every Thursday morning as I went on base for a Bible study, but never stopped in until now.

Something I heard there really stuck with me as I listened to a video of an old WWII veteran. He served in the infantry (a foot-soldier on the front lines) and was telling about a particular time when his company was fighting a very tough battle. He said they were low on food and ammunition, and they feared for their lives. And then he said something profound. He said, "But we did what we had been trained to do, we moved toward the sound of enemy gunfire."
WOW, can you imagine?

As I have given that more thought, it dawned on me that there is great wisdom in those words. Not just for warfare, but for life itself. Not many people I have known would square off with formidable opposition. And I confess it would not be my first inclination. But what a difference it would make if we all disciplined ourselves to move toward the challenges in life - as these Marines moved toward opposing forces. What courage! What bravery! What guts! What heroes!