Economics 101

Thought for day: if you don't have the money,don't buy it, no matter how deep a discount.

Optical Illusion at Science Museum of Virginia

Michael at Science Museum of Virginia.

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For Mothers and Children, A Poem

A mother's love,
like laundry and messes,
is unending.

It is like
tides of the ocean,
with highs and lows.

It is like an ocean
littered with mistakes
yet unfailingly
beautiful.

A Great Man May Leave Us Soon

Dad survived: the Great Depression, World War II (where he was the sole survivor of his platoon), deafness, arthritis, dysentary, divorce, heart disease, cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, now Altzheimer's. I wish there was a cure for him.  Bernie was such a smart man.  He loved to read and listen to classical music.  He loved hiking in the woods, collecting rocks, looking at beautiful scenery.  He used to know the names of various kinds of rocks and minerals, trees and plants.  He could speak and sing in several languages.  When we went on car trips, Bernie would sing as he drove us across the country.  He changed jobs quite a few times. Each job change meant we moved far away from where we had lived.  Whenever possible, he would plant trees in our new yards. He told us we are here to make the world a better place, one tree at a time.  Even though Dad is still alive, I miss him so much.  Before he lost his hearing, we would call each other and talk about life.  He always had great advice.  I am lucky that Bernie has a gentle strong will.  If he hadn't stayed on his healthy salad diet, or walked every day, or if he had not insisted on filling in a crossword puzzle every day, he would have long succumbed to the evil dementia.  At 70 he began working out with weights in a gym. All this self improvement kept him afloat.  We are told that now it is a matter of months before he forgets who we are and starts sliding into the unknown realms of the demented mind.  Dad, I love you and I miss you.

An Observation

Parenting is a marathon without a finish line.