Existing In BFE

Something happened last month that will be remembered as a pretty big deal someday.  It was the first time someone chose legal doctor-assisted /suicide/euthanasia without a terminal illness.  Such procedures have been legal for the terminally dying for years in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Hawaii and District of Columbia, Montana and Vermont.  Nine other states are working on passing similar legislation.    104 year-old Australian professor David Goodall flew to Switzerland where assisted suicides are legal and ended his life to the strains of Mozart simply because he wanted to.  He wore a T-shirt reading "Aging Disgracefully" on his flight over.   It all reminded me of when I took Missy to Dr. Joy to have her put to sleep when she had cancer.  I wanted to be with her at the end and after a sedative which relaxed her, Dr. Joy then gave her the dose that ended her suffering.  She was happy at the end as I stroked her back and whispered good bye

These wrap up the night pics I took while up North in February.  I'll start posting some of the pictures I took last month.

A compendium of things I see, run across or do that interests me and might interest you.  Some items I may or may not personally believe.  Don't kill the messenger.  If you don't like it, move along.   Allegiant Flight 870 as I boarded last week.  I don't know why people knock their safety record. ++++++++++ Picture in Gails Flooring in Emerald City  This is a group of people, including Boy Scouts, in the Keithsburg are who went to Springfield to tour the capitol.  Upper row second from left was Don Dodson who was our barber.    I wasn't aware that Oly was a Boy Scout.   ++++++++++ ++++++++++ Jeff:  What happened to bodine-DILLIGAF? Tim: Can we tinker with August? Danny:  Go C????! ++++++++++ Whizzbang Week 6 Perfectly placed fig leaf. ++++++++++ ++++++++++ Mr. And Mrs. Wombie moved to a new abode.  This common yellowthroat landed on their back door scre

Memorial Day To all the Mothers Who Searched, and all the Soldiers who have been Found.  Give a moment to those who have  Fallen and are Home.

For every thing there is a season.  When we all lived in that great home in Seaton we never lacked for things to do.  We had a whole town to explore, with cricks to examine for exotic wildlife, a ball diamond to play games, a lot to play football and tree to climb and see out toward forever.   This was the tree Bill Seaton would climb and yell Skiboo! or Bakee! depending on his mood or whether it was his mother or father calling him home for supper.  We would climb as far as we could, then stay there for an hour talking of things long forgotten and likely of no great import today, but at the time as treasured as Fort Knox.  At the time of our youth it was a big sprawling edifice that befitted the necessity of firing up the imaginations of the boys, and yes girls, it sheltered.  It was a wonder of the neighborhood.  A beacon of strength and promise of joy.  From our dad lifting us up to the lowest limb when we were too small to reach, to the last day we stayed overnight, it w

Facebook is a wonderful forum to connect with friends, shop, see cat videos and reinforce your political inclinations.  I highly recommend it for most folks.  It can be fun and infuriating.  It is the beating heart of what we cavalierly call "social media".  But I decided it wasn't for me.  I'm stepping back and out.  I terminated my Facebook account. Like a wizard mixing his concoctions in a darkened corner, maybe lit only by a cell phone, my reasoning is threefold.  One third, this, one third that and a dash of other things that came to a boil just before leaving for Northlandia.  Before I go on I am not lambasting the forum or its proponents - it is just fine for most.  Like the Avengers: Infinity War isn't for everyone (certainly not me), it is the height of entertainment for most.  The first third of the recipe was the loss of privacy in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.  Facebook personnel as I understand it sold my information to Ru

Tuesday Tidbits A compendium of things personal, political, and just stuff found on the web designed to provoke, make you think, smile or get mad.  I may or may not believe it so don't bite my head off.  If this upsets you stay away.  It's my party so I can type if I want to.    ++++++++++ The United States Navy puts on a light show, Long Beach Harbor, May 26th, 1946. Cool, huh? ++++++++++ Open For Business ++++++++++ ++++++++++ This was floating around on Facebook last week.  A picture of Seaton, Illinois, and fairly recently.   The house in lower center, just across the street from the water tower, was my grandparents place.  You can't see our place in the Eat End. ++++++++++ ++++++++++ Randy A.:  How did you get along with that hurricane? Mike:  I got along just fine. Randy A.:  It took a man from Seaton to do that. ++++++++++ In another life I was a one of these guys.  Isn

It's great to be back.  More on the trip to Northlandia later.  I know you are all dying in anticipation of all the things explored, consumed, or observed.  I have lots, but first let's celebrate Norah's 7th birthday.  She was born on the day Obama's Navy SEALs plugged Obama bin Laden.  This was the last day I was here in Kitschland until I hopped a plane to the Quad Cities. Birthday parties haven't changed much since I was a kid.  This was one of those surprise ones Kenzie dreamed up.  After an astonished kid, and having invited friends, open gifts, gush with pleasure at all the hoopla, eat cake, then finish it all off with a piñata bashing.  But wait! That's not all!  A sleepover!       It was a nice time, and Norah was pleasantly surprised and quite happy being the center of all the attention.     Alfred couldn't resist grabbing handfuls of compressed sugar from the piñata. Seven is a tough birthday.  Too young yet

Time for Spring Fling.  For the next two weeks I'll be in Northlandia.  I never have enough time to do everything I want and I hear I'm going to be manning a paint brush at times.  The NHCC will be closed a good deal of the time, but I'd like to do the following, if possible: 1.  bike ride 2.  Jerry's pizza 3.  night sky photography 4.  Beer Bellies or the Club 5.  road trip 6.  tenderloins 7.  LaGondola Torpedo 8.  Breakfast with the girls 9.  Evening at NHCC 10.  Car show at Alpha on the 12th 1.  See some old friends If I can do some of that I'll be happy.  When I return to Kitschland I have lot of babysitting the girls, yeah both, coming up for summer vacation. Three bad things about coming up now is the Wombie is plowing, my digs are unsettled, and I leave Whizbang and her housetraining.  I should also tell you at this time, better take a seat, that this is the last post for awhile.  I'll be back and running again soon but for the mean