No Safe Distance

Mother Teresa on Bearing Up Under Hardship

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.

I just wish He didn't trust me so much.

Do You Understand That Your Environment...

is, in many ways, your self portrait?

I'll leave you to your thoughts...

On Choice

Who is in your family may not be a choice.

How you relate to them is.

Wayfaring Stranger Sung by Bill Monroe

On Value

Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it isn't trivial.

Cage Match of Happiness...

A CNN report on happiness recently revealed several interesting results from surveys comparing happiness across groups. According to a Pew Research Center survey, the happiest age group is men 65 and older; the least happy: men 18 to 29.

The survey also found:

Married people are happier than singles.

College grads are happier than those without a college degree.

People who were religious are happier than those who aren't.

Sunbelt residents are happier than other U.S. residents.

Republicans are happier than Democrats -- but both are happier than independents.

Like a good Chicahgoan, this got me wondering...

Okay, Cage Match of Happiness...

An eternally youthful Elvis Costello or angels wearing red shoes?

People who believe in faeries or people who believe in unicorns? (Personally, I'm going with faeries. We all know the horn is a phallic symbol and once you go looking there for your ultimate happiness...well, good luck with that.)

Those with their head in the sand or those with their heads in the clouds?

The student who is ready or the teacher who arrives?

Girls who rule or boys who drool?

Those who are blind or those who refuse to see?

Those who rock and roll all night or those who party every day?

People who believe in music or people who need people?"

Think About It

Why do you think they call it "joyful abandon?"

Sometimes you have to let go.

Well, I can do TWO.

Two DOZEN that is.

When my mother-in-law turned 87 she told me that she had entered, count 'em, FIFTEEN categories at the Carlton County Fair in MN with her baking and got THIRTEEN ribbons, the majority of which were blue.

She's now 91 and her church recently called to ask her if she would bake FOUR DOZEN LOAVES OF BREAD for them.  

Clearly they have never baked bread. That's a lot of kneading and punching (which this petite lady has to stand on a stool to do) and time given she has a tiny little apartment with an oven that can only do so much at once.

So in true Minnesota style she put her foot down. "Oh golly, I told them I could only do two dozen. I think that's plenty!"

Yeah, you know you wish YOUR dad was this cool...

I know I've been sporadic here lately but all is well. Here at Dad's doing the bimonthly clean-aroo and Isaac Hayes – Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic is playing on his stereo right now. Not too bad for a 78 year old white guy. I've got it here below for you, in case you want to groove along while you do your own Spring Cleaning.

For those who are playing the home version of Life with Frank, I have another Frankism for you. I asked him if he ever gets bored, since he's so limited in what he can do and he said,

"No, my mind is always going. I'm like a think tank."

Ooh, Alan Parsons Project is just coming on...(The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether. You know, from Tales of Mystery and Imagination (inspired by Edgar Allen Poe). Yeah, you know your dad was just listening to that this afternoon, too.

Life After a Stroke, and Chocolate, Too

At long last, my mom has relented to my encouragement and started her own blog (my taking over her computer a couple days ago may have helped that along). I'm hoping you'll go check it out, not because she's my mom, but because I think she's going to have a darn fine blog and she might end up being a great resource for you for lots of different reasons.

My mom is a researcher. It seems to be part of her genetic makeup. She is thorough, discerning and has an eye (and tastebuds) for quality. Food. Movies. Websites. Charities. Kitchen Appliances. Restaurants. For years she has been leaving me personalized consumer reports style voice mail messages recommending her latest finds and she's come up with some excellent ones. But she doesn't stop at recommending companies, which tend to be small independent gems led by their values (and often recipes passed down through generations as she'll have the whole family story for me). Where food recommendations are concerned, she doesn't take for granted that every offering from a company will be a winner. She samples as much as she can and will let you know which products don't pass muster as well as the ones that excel. She has taste tests, comparing different companies products, just to make sure her finds are really as good as she thinks they are (or, in some cases, as Oprah suggested they might be).

And as a bonus, she gives her perspective as someone who is living life after a stroke. She'll let you know what she has found that has been helpful to her AND has helped her have a high quality of life. You don't always get those together, but she's not willing to sacrifice one for the other if she doesn't have to.

But this won't only be a blog for foodies. Her movie recommendations are generally top notch as well. Some of my (and Scott's) favorite movies have come through her recommendations. And so did my crock pot, come to think of it. And she gave me a killer roasting pan (and I think she knows that family's story, too.)

Not only that, but she writes well, too! A great bonus. I'm just thrilled she's begun and look forward to seeing what she comes up with. And it will cut down on all those post-it notes I gather with her tips. If nothing else, it's a great catalogue for me and I look forward to seeing what she finds next.

Here's the link again: Just The Facts, Ma'am