Once upon a time

 Today is "Oxi Day". It's not a holiday in the United States, but it is a notable day in the history of Greece. Why is it important ... In 1940 Italy under the control of Benito Mussolini demanded that Greece accept occupation by the Italian Army. Greece was  given until October 28 1940 to accept the demand, or go to war.

Italy had a large, well equipped Army and was opposed by a very small, poorly equipped army that had no experience in modern war. Although it looked liked a given, that the Greeks would cave in and allow the Italians to cross their border at 3 AM the Prime Minister of Greece gave the Italian ambassador a one word answer. "Oxi" which means NO. 

In the face of overwhelming odds the Greeks fought the Italians to a standstill and even drove them back from the frontier. It took the German Army, coming to the aid of the Italians to win that little war, an effort that diverted a bunch of divisions that were scheduled to invade Russia. A small  country, peopled by those who wanted self determination rather than obedience to f foreign force had an impact that is meaningful today.

Determination, belief in self and a willingness to take on an overwhelming force is something to be reckoned with. Our politicians need to remember that as they try to change our society against the will of the many.

Say What?

 This mornings paper had an article that the medical guru of the political  progressive wing of society is now saying, after much dithering, that it's ok to mix corvid medication in order to achieve his goal of "herd immunity".

The three medications under discussion were all creating with a common goal, but each chose to take a different path towards defeating the virus. My thought is that if I have one chemical mix working in my body it doesn't do me any good to add a different, and possibly competing chemical to the mix. It's like if I got drunk on good scotch it doesn't do me any good to try to sober up on bourbon. 

Science seems to have sold its soul to the devil of politics ... and we are worse of for it.

The case of LTC Schiller

 This Marine Corps officer is in custody, and waiting a military trial for not following a legal order, He is an honorable man who is upset by the way the administration and the chain of command handled the exit from Kabul.

There is lots of discussion about the case. Full of emotion and often short on facts. If you want to get a better discussion of the case I suggest you take a look at this article. Why Marine Stuart Scheller's Insubordination Deserves An Investigation (thefederalist.com

The case of the traveling jewelry

 I've been formally mediating since we moved to middle America. Before then I actually did do mediation although I didn't know that's what I was doing. Kind of the story of my life, I think.

I had done some informal work in employee relations (Not HR, but trying to repair the mistakes that HR is institutionally prone to make) and had been negotiating information technology issues for most of my career. When CC first suggested that I take a course in mediation I didn't think I would like it ... but I rapidly found that I enjoy the process and often walk away from s session smiling and thinking :I'm glad I'm not those people". A couple of decades later I still find something to laugh about, learn from and be grateful that I'm the mediator and not a party to the insanity.

I had a court assignment to make sure that the parents worked together and learned to provide a stable life for the kids. After a couple of years getting them to at least communicate the Dad decided to retire and was making comments that he should have more time with the kids and perhaps deserved sole custody, Mom of course disagreed and her lawyer commented that Dad had even said to him that he would agree to anything, but didn't believe that he had to live up to the court order defining the parents time with the kids. That's an attitude that is sure to "annoy" a judge and the court hearings have been fun to watch. 

People do foolish things and when called to account they often shut down, or become very verbal or  refuse to respond to the court. All of those attitudes are human, but by not thinking the issue through those attitudes can get you in trouble.

An elderly couple, elderly in years, but not in their life view contracted with a tradesman to do some repairs and painting around the house. They trusted him and payed at the end of the job without looking at the work. When they did look at the job they found work not done, work not asked for  and generally work done that did not meet industry standards. The sued for shoddy workmanship and during the course of documenting their complaint they found that a carriage door opener and jewelry were also missing.

When I caught the case thy couple told me that after they called the police the  jewelry appeared in a different part of the house  The jewels were a felony matter and not mentioned in the complaint so I didn't have to wade through that particular swamp. The tradesman, being the kind of guy who thought he could talk his way out of any situation did allude to the jewels, I played ignorant of the situation, but the fellow realized he was talking his way into more trouble than he wanted to be in (if he had told me he had taken property from a client I would have had to report that fact) and agreed to settle the case. The couple realized that they had made a mistake when they found that verbal agreements exceeding a certain value had to be written down and agreed to a settlement for less than they demanded. The parties didn't get what they both wanted, but they did resolve the issue that brought them to court.

Like I told the parties "You might not go away happy with the agreement, but at least you can be content that this issue is behind you". And the judge laughed when I described the course (but not the content) of the discussion.

There is always a new case in the future and I look forward to working with the parties.

Dog Days

 We are hosting a new dog, and have had her for several months. Chica is part Dachshund and part Papillion and is as smart as she is cute. She came to us as an abused dog, but has learned to trust and appreciate people after some initial hesitation.

Our fenced back yard is big enough for three dogs to run and play, but not large enough that a dog wanting more space to run  won't search for ways to circumvent the fence. And Chica is that kind of dog, but since the yard is fenced we thought all was good. Silly Us!

At first we thought she had dug under the fence, but we never found a hole and she was always clean and free of mud when we caught up with her. I made sure there were no holes in the fence and I even strengthened the fencing under the side of the deck that faces the street. But she still got out. And always returned grinning with the knowledge she had pulled one over on the humans

It took a while to find out how Chica was evading our security, but CC finally caught her in the act. She was not digging under the fence, and she wasn't jumping the fence. Instead she had found that a ladder I had hanging (for safety) on the fence made an excellent avenue for climbing up and then jumping over the last foot of fence. No wonder she always appeared at the gate when she wanted to come home. There is no ladder on the outside of the fence to help her sneak back in. 

We will miss the little lady when she goes to her forever home and will always remember her as our object lesson not to underestimate the planning ability of our canine friends.

20 Years

 How many years of life experience were erased that day? How many years of potential were erased? We will never know. We can only mourn the dead. Not bring them back.

I wish I could forgive those who perpetrated these heinous acts twenty years ago. But it isn't in me, God forgive me, but I cannot forgive this, ever.

I remember, I mourn.

Woe to those who would let such a thing occur ever again. That too will not be forgotten, nor forgiven.

Chica

 A while back we added a dog to our inventory of house pets. We took on a foster dog, because ... well because she needed a good home. 

In the first year of her life the dog was mistreated and abused just about all the time. When she came of age she pregnant by a neighbors dog and because her owners didn't want the responsibility the pups were destroyed at birth. The young thing was an emotional mess when it was surrendered to us, but we wanted to give her a home that wasn't dangerous. We wanted to separate her as much as possible from her past so that meant giving her a new name to go with her new life. Since her name started with "ch" we tried to replicate the sound and called her "Chica". And she has rapidly lived up to her new name of "sister".

Chica is a mixed breed, about 10 pounds and is getting a chance to live the puppy life she never had before, when she goes outside she bounces and wants to run with the other dogs until she becomes too tired to run and just wants to rest on the porch. She has escaped the yard a couple of times, but doesn't go far and hangs around waiting for us to ring the dinner bell. For the record the escape routes have all been identified and neutralized.

Chica has only one problem, but it's one of grave concern to our feline family. She thinks that cats are play toys and what can be more fun than chasing them and trying to get them to play with her. Growls, hisses, arched backs and bared claws across the nose are not impediments to her urge to play with the cats. Needless to say the cats are not impressed and we keep reminding ourselves that Chica is a foster dog and that she will soon find her forever home. Hopefully, one without cats.

Life without pets would be empty and dull, and we delight in our pets. They give us respect and attention and make our days "interesting" and without them we would be empty.

Thought for the day

 

After the events the administration put us through in Afghanistan this is what we should be doing.

Use Your Gray Matter

 The argument of the day appears to be whether people who have not gotten COVID 19 vaccinated should be forced to take the shot and secondarily if children should be required to wear masks at school. The volume and the verbiage are mostly a smoke screen, designed to keep your mind off the important matters of the day.

But behind all the smoke it really is important that each of us research, read, analyze the data and use the brains that God gave us to decide what is appropriate. I did my research and considered all options and have been vaccinated since February, and the sheer number of shots given versus the miniscule number of individual bad reactions support my decision to be vaccinated. I don't have any children of school age, but I'm amazed at the actions of parents who loudly refuse to assure that their kids are maximally protected while in a confined space with other kids. Their position just doesn't make sense to me, but I respect their right to act foolishly. And I also respect the right of society to think the issue through and logically agree to protect those who need to be isolated from the actions of others. 

Our creator gave us brains to think, and the ability to disagree while also giving us the ability to reason and cooperate. Now is the time to exercise that ability. 

Time and Space

 So far this week all the work I've done has been court based. Two days of Small Claims cases are always going to make me happy that "I'm not one of those people". It continues to amaze me, the situations people can get into and the muddle they make of their lives trying to get out of the situation.

But that's what mediators do and I'm glad that I can help get (some) of the people I deal with on track to resolving whatever it was that brought them to me.

Yesterday I drove several hours to a family court hearing. The hearing itself was nothing special and the judge's decision was not unexpected. what I did find interesting was the difference between the court I usually work with and the rural court where the hearing was held. My court serves a population of more than 700,000 people and has 24 sitting judges. Security is tight, you have to pass through a metal detector, lots of deputies are available and camera everywhere. The rural court, while it has the latest in judicial support systems is staffed with 1 judge for less than 8,000 people. There were no metal detectors, no deputies and nothing to indicate that security was important. I really didn't need to leave stuff in my car that I have to remove at my home court.

So it's all a matter of need and perception. At my court we know there is a percentage of people who do not wish the system well and are prepared to demonstrate their feelings. In the rural area everyone knows each other and trust is apparent.

It kind of makes me wish I lived out there.

I'm still having fun

 Mumble, Mumble years ago I entered the world and it has been a fun ride ever since. It was a Monday morning and I don't think my mother ever forgave me for "interrupting" her weekly wash day. But at least she didn't send me back.  I deny the rumor that my arrival precipitated World War II but I can remember that it was the start of a frenetic growth period, both technical and social and I'm glad I was able to experience it. 

A lot has changed, for better or worse, since that day and I try to keep current. As I've grown I guess my mantra has been that if I want to stay young I should be with the young. But not try to keep up. 

So far its worked and even if its harder to get started in the morning I'm still engaged, mentally active and always looking forward to the next event.

Life is never dull

 As we age we tend to see life in less nuanced terms. I'm not saying that life is a series events seen in a black or white color spectrum. What I'm saying is that as we grow over time and add to our book of experience we learn to filter out the BS and Misdirection that others want us to accept without thought.

CC and I have a mutual friend who has been living in the same apartment for over fifteen years and has seen their rent go up while the quality of apartment life has diminished, both in maintenance and in the people management rents to. It's gotten to the point where an increasing number of apartments in the development are now leased under Section 8 rules. The new tenants are not known for their social skills and inter-personal relations so our friend has decided to move on and rent a house,

Their lease on the apartment runs out in October and they can move into their new (and safer) home in September. You would hope that after many years of complaint free living that management would honor their presence and defer the last month of their lease. Not to be ... and they will most likely have to pay for the Octobers rent while also paying for their new place. 

I do a lot of landlord/tenant mediation and my experience has been that as the quality of the apartment and the tenants goes down the probity of the parties diminishes to an even greater degree. Owners don't maintain the property and occupants resist paying rent and maintaining their home. What follows is that the parties don't trust each other and social relationships disappear. These situations gives me lots of work, but it's not work I enjoy since it really brings out the worst in people.

Our friend is doing the right thing. Leave for a better environment and don't look back!

Shelf Life for Heroes?

 Old NFO (a blog I read) recently commented on today's social propensity to tear down and destroy any symbol that the few find offensive. If at any time you, or your ancestors even thought about owning a fellow human being there will be someone who wants you removed from the social conscience. If you approve of naming a school, sports team or even a stream after something or someone that somebody feels offended by you are in trouble in todays society.

There is a small stream near us that is maybe three miles long and at its widest is perhaps two feet wide. No one knows officially the how or the why the stream got named, but anecdotally it was named  after an escaped slave back in the 1850's who killed himself beside the stream. Negro Creek is now the focus of a concerted effort to rename it, since "Negro" is offensive to some people. It's too bad that if the story is true the name of the poor guy who killed himself could be applied to the stream. Instead, if the complainers have their way the new name will be Freedom Creek. (I cringe, because the suggested name does nothing to recognize the history of the area other than make the perpetrators of this awful name more self satisfied)

If we take the logic of removing any recognition if someone objects to something from the past I guess we need to remove the writings of Elizabeth Barrett Browning from the shelves. She was a 19th century poet, best known for her "Sonnets from the Portuguese" and for her effort in promoting equality between races and the sexes. But her parents wealth came from owning plantations in Jamaica that used slave labor to grow and produce sugar. Despite a lifetime of good deeds, she is condemned for actions of her family and cast aside.

In some peoples eyes naming anything after a minority race is "expropriation" and we need to rename the object of this insult. So I guess we need to rename the city of Seattle Washington since it is named after a local indigenous leader (I can't use the word Indian Chief for fear of hurting somebodies feelings) who worked to bring two cultures and races together and who just wanted to get along and live a peaceful life. The present residents of Seattle who are busy tearing down statues, renaming schools, legalizing drugs and defunding the police will never notice.

Our newest family member

We recently acquired a new dog, she is about 18 months old and came to us after being heavily abused at her original home. We also learned that she had, way too early in life, a litter of pups that were taken from her soon after birth. We needed to provide her with a new home, a new beginning and a fresh new way of living. To do that we also had to give her a new name as a signal that she was entering a new life.

But dogs are creatures of habit and new names are hard to learn. Since her old name was "Chewy" CC and I knew that any new name had to sound something like her old name, but be completely different, We found her new name in Spanish and re-named her "Chica" (girl). It might not be original, but it took Chica less than a day to respond to her new name and come when called. 

Chica is becoming a firm addition to our household, and while her relations with the cats needs improvement (on both parts) she is enjoying her life with new friends Amber and Bentley. Playtime occasionally gets a little rough but so far no blood has been shed and they all share the bed comfortably. Even leaving room for the humans at night.

Yesterday was an eventful day for Chica when we took her to the clinic and had her spayed. But looking at her today you would think that, except for the Cone of Shame nothing unusual had happened to her. I wish I had that level of resiliency! 

Unintended Consequences

 If you say something on the Internet that your service provider feels is inappropriate they can take action against you for saying something that in other venues is perfectly acceptable under your First Amendment rights. The question I have is; Is that legal? The answer is a lot more complex than a simple yes or no.

The debate about banning speech on the internet started with the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Specifically Title V of the act was created as a response to minors access to pornography. During debate an amendment was added that became Section 230. That section was added to give the internet provider (including the social media networks) protection from liability after the Supreme Court ruled that operators of internet services are not publishers and are not legally liable for the words of third parties who use their services. The act was further amended in 2017 to make it illegal to knowingly assist, facilitate or support sex trafficking. The focus of the entire section is on pornography, but it includes words that allow the website to censor something that they, "in good faith" believe to be "otherwise objectionable"

So... is it legal? 

If you think the law applies only to pornography it's legal only if the subject matter is obscene (And even the Supreme Court shies away from defining that!) If you believe that the phrase "otherwise objectionable" means anything you want it to mean then the social networks are free to censor anything they want, using their own criteria.

My question is, Who is monitoring the monitors and isn't censorship the job of a government that is responsible to the people rather than the company owner?

I don't have an answer, only and opinion and mine is that if the "publisher" is not responsible for content than the First Amendment to the Constitution applies and I have an equal right to turn away from the originator of the content I find objectionable. If you think that the act is good for its intended purpose of protecting children from pornography there are more than a few apps that can be installed that shield minors from such websites and content.

Still Counting

 Today our country is celebrating its 244th birthday. During its life it has seen war and famine, good times and terrible times, but it has always celebrated its birthday with joy and exaltation. Birthdays should be a happy time. A time to forget stress and to ignore the works of those who would pull us away from the essential goals that are expressed in our Declaration of Independence and our constitution.

This year I'm going to celebrate my country's birthday with all the wonder and glee of a kid diving into the birthday cake. 

Meet Chewy

 We have pets. Sometimes we like animals over people, but we always have a soft spot for animals that have been abused and are in need of a safe haven.

Chewy (not a name we would have given her) came to us less that 24 hours ago and is still finding her way around the house and the other pets. Time will tell how well she integrates into the family and I'm sure she will be the basis for many stories.

A Cynical Look at Cultural Appropriation

 I don't know anything about Michael Jordan, other than he is an actor who apparently has been able to make a decent living from his craft. He is also wise enough to use some of his name and money in fields other than acting and part of it went towards buying into a distillery and making rum. His rum was labeled "J'Ouvert" and by using a French name he has apparently insulted some Caribbean Social Justice Warriors.

In the Lesser Antilles, especially Trinidad and Tobago there is an annual festival called (as you might have guessed) J'Ouvert. The name is based on the French phrase for dawn, or daybreak, and celebrates the heritage of the people who live there. The SJW complainers accused Mr. Jordan of cultural appropriation, and stealing the heritage of the indigenous peoples and forced him to remove the label from his product. A new name has not been decided on but I will most likely buy a bottle just to let him know that at least one person feels he is being punished for being an entrepreneur.

Why? A quick bit of research tells me that the demographic makeup of Trinidad and Tobago is 35% East Indian, 51% African and African mix and 7% other races or unknown. The language base of the people who live on the islands is 60% English and 40% Hindi (an East Indian language), The Carib Indians who were the original and indigenous population are not to be found and even the name of the festival appears to have been appropriated from somewhere else. The SJW zealots who proclaimed Mr. Jordan was appropriating a cultural event are themselves guilty of stealing the truth and distorting their own history in order to show their true emotion is envy. They apparently cannot abide  the fact that an African American man can be successful and can create jobs and opportunities for others.

Mr. Jordan, continue to market your rum under the J'Ouvert label. Except in the Lesser Antilles where I suggest you call it "Daybreak"

Sad News

 One of our daughters was married, but since divorced, and they had a son who has grown to be a young man with a bright future. Unfortunately his father will not be around to share in that future. At the very young age of 59 Tim died a few days ago from early onset Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's, and any of the dementia's, is a terrible process that takes an enormous toll on the family while stealing the patients ability to remember and relate. I grieve for anyone who has to deal with this terrible disease.

Tim Reed ... taken too early.

The Flags of our Fathers

 I don't consider myself to be a rabid patriot, but I do believe that I was born at a great time in a wonderful country. My grandfather left Norway for the United States because it offered him opportunities that were not available to him in the old country and those opportunities still exist in the U.S. today. The chance to do better is what drove my grandfather and is what drives all those who would immigrate to our country. I don't think there is any other country that is willing to receive people with a vision and give them unfettered opportunity to chase their goal. I owe my grandfather for chasing his dream and assuring that I was born here, not in an overseas society that looks back rather than forward and often limits individual progress.

 In honor of our heritage we fly the American Flag. But we also fly the Norwegian Flag to show the world that our heritage is not to be forgotten. (CC's ancestors also came from Norway so it's a given that we honor our forbearers in addition to the land that gave our parents the opportunity to thrive). Sadly there seem to be some people who don't see things in the same light and a recent opinion piece in the New York Times got my dander up.

A lady by the name of Mara Gray is on the editorial board of the Times and wrote that the display of the American Flag for Memorial Day was "disturbing" since the flag was "by its very nature a racist symbol". She has a right to her opinion, but I also have a right to consider her an ignorant ass who ignores the reality that outside the U.S. there are almost no place that would allow her the opportunity to show her distain for the country that nurtures her and the many people of all races and creeds that died to preserve her right to be an unappreciative fool. I suspect the lady would be "really disturbed" if she had seen our Norwegian heritage flag since apparently all symbols of respect, appreciation and pride are anathema to her.

Today the sun is shining on our two flags and we will continue to fly them, regardless of the feelings of those who can not understand that some things are worthy of defending. My ancestors and the many people of all backgrounds that founded and maintained our country deserve better than the likes of Ms. Gray.

A Symbol of Love

 CC and I work hard, entertain ourselves with at home things and try to spend our money carefully. We do have one thing that routinely gets us out of the house and spending money. We like old furniture, antiques and things with historical stories to tell. As a result our home and its contents reflect periods in time that rewarded craftsmanship and built things to stand the test of time.

We do have many of the modern things of life that are marketed to make life easier and enjoyable, but we always seem to come back to those things that give us comfort and remind us of those past days we remember as slower and more contemplative.

A while back we were at an estate sale and I found a lawn ornament that now sits in a place of honor on our hearth. 

 

My call sign has been Frog for a long, long time and I just couldn't resist the story this statue tells of Frog and his Lady enjoying life together, laughing with nature and just being one with the other. Despite the pressures that each day might bring, we try to remember that the small things are the things that count and that a ladybug crawling on your wrist can be a memorable moment in time,

After a Year, It's Back to Work

 I stay young, if not in years, but in engagement with life by working as a alternative dispute resolution specialist. My job is to work with people and companies in conflict and guide them to a mutually agreeable solution. With the way of the world right this moment there is always work for me to do and I look forward to being intellectually young for the foreseeable future. 

When Covid came to town, my workload didn't decrease, in fact it got pretty busy. The difference was that rather than talking with people face to face I found myself sitting in my office working with people over the internet. Name the conferencing platform and I think I've spent time on it. They all work much the same, but the end result is that I have been spending long hours helping people who just want to fight over a perceived insult to their viewpoint.

Many of my cases are assigned by the courts and the big difference I've noticed is that where once people were overawed by the gravitas of court and were (sometimes) eager to get the case resolved and be able to go home. Doing my job over the internet removed that sense of responsibility and for many people it became almost a game of seeing who could be more obstreperous and able to take a poke at the other party. Before Covid our success rate was about 85% and during Covid the success rate sank to about 65%.

But those days are about to end since the court will be in full session, and people will need to come to court and required to play nice in a closed room with their opponent and a trained neutral. One thing that will make next week's back to court is that we will be moving into a brand new courthouse. The county has tripled in size since the old court was built in the 50's and the workload (and number of judges) has increased. Now we have lots of bright and airy courtrooms, electronic support and plenty of meeting rooms to work with the people who can't seem to resolve issues without help. 

And maybe ... just maybe, people will be willing to resolve their issue rather than preach their cause. 

Memorial Day 2021

 Today might be the "start of summer" to many, but it was created as a day to remember the many who never came back. It has been over half a century since I stood my last formation but the philosophy of duty, honor, country still persist.

A New Beginning

 Let me start with an introduction. It's been a long time since I last wrote an entry for this blog and I think it appropriate to tell you who I am. I live (for the moment) near the geographical center of the continental United States. Old enough to remember WW2 and the bright days before counterculture and Covid came into our lives. After several careers on both the east and west coasts I retired and took up a fresh new career as a mediator.

Mediators are people who by inclination and training want to help people who are in conflict and don't know how to resolve their problem. It could be neighbors squabbling over minor things, couples divorcing and not knowing how to split the assets, the kids or the pets. Companies fighting over contract issues or employees feeling discriminated against. Wherever there is human interaction there is a chance for dispute and that's where I come in. Sometimes the parties call me, often the courts ask me to step in and resolve the issue before it comes to trial and they always expect me to be a neutral party who can guide them to a way of fixing things.

After way too many years I've come back to a blog that I started more than a decade ago and then let die of neglect. When I read over some of my original mental rambles that I had the hutzpah to publish, I realize that my outlook on life has changed since then. While I'm still a curmudgeon, I'm now more willing to laugh at myself (despite what My Lovely Lady thinks) and the crazy world we all live in, The Covid 19 pandemic and the response to its impact by politicians and the public made me realize that laughter is truly the better medicine and that at my age I have the opportunity to laugh at myself and not worry too much about how others might react if I also laugh at (or with) them.

My Lovely Lady (who likes to be called CC) has several blogs including a blog build around animals and what they can teach us if we are willing to listen, She has spent her life in veterinary medicine and emergency management doing good things for others. I work with people and try to get them to resolve their problems before resorting to inappropriate behavior, between the two of us I think we have our world covered.

When I listen to, or read the news it often talks about the negatives things that are clouding our days. What I would like to do with this blog is to talk about the low level human things that happen to us every day. sometimes good, occasionally bad, and even humorous at times. But I'll always try to keep it at the human level and how I see events effecting our lives. It's the small things that really count.

for example: One of the teenage daughters who lives along our street is a cello player and recently she was practicing her musical skills outside. It was a worm and pleasant Sunday evening and within a few minutes, neighbors, all carrying chairs congregated on the driveway to enjoy a very impromptu concert. Masks were worn, social distancing was observed and people bonded in the enjoyment of an informal musical interlude.

Tor a few moments in time working from home, pandemic restrictions and political interference in our personal lives was ignored and we all just enjoyed the music and delight of a young lady in displaying her skill. It was not a momentous moment in time but it brought a pleasant end to the weekend, made it possible for us to recharge our emotional batteries and allowed us to merge as a group of neighbors rather than people who happen to live on the same block.

Life is made interesting by the little things and I hope I can encourage you to bear with me as I talk about the little things that have caught my eye. It will be an interesting excursion for me, and I hope for you.