A Christmas Memory

I have lots of Christmas Memories.

I should, too, because I've had about 29 of them.

Work with me.

When I was 5, I got my first bike.

A purple Huffy.

Monkey bars.

Banana seat.

And those sparkly streamers on the grips.

Heaven.

The only thing I had to do was learn to ride this bad boy.

Enter my stepfather.

He would run behind me, holding me up as I barely stayed upright.

"Are you there Tyler?"

I repeated my mantra while I wobbled along.

Every time, I would hear his panting reassurance "Yes."

"Are you there?"

Huff, huff, cough, huff, wheeze. "Yes"

And one day?

"Tyler?"

**Silence**

He was at the top of the hill.

Watching.

I had done it!

And when I realized I had sailed down this path on my own,

I fell over.

But I knew I could do it.

Patience, perseverance, hard work, praise and satisfaction.

Life's lessons all wrapped up in a purple bicycle.

And that was the best gift.

Ever.

This-n-That Thursday

This week's new annoyances symptoms of my advancing years:

• Cannot see the buttons on the phone
• Cannot hear anything except screaming children in restaurants
• Raging dyslexia
• Overnight eyelash loss
• A need to talk to the people on television
• A need to talk to myself
• Overnight goatee
• A need to scream at the lead story on the news at 6
• Everything itches
• Everything is especially itchy between 2 and 5 AM

I wonder what next week will bring....What's itching you?

Last Weekend

Annie, MPM, Daryl, Kate (photo credit)

Today's Aquarius Horoscope:
Dec 09, 2009

You have always been independent, dear Aquarius. You tend to act on your own, and you don't trust outside help. Over the last few weeks, however, you have managed to find people who have accepted you the way you are. It is as if you have found a refuge where you can escape reality. But you will find that if you open your heart to others, you will find additional places of refuge.

get yours

Tuesday Text

After Thanksgiving, The Bird went back to Virginia in a horrible storm.

I was sick with worry the whole flight time.

I was watching the status online, and it disappeared.

Yes, disappeared.

But I recovered.

I think.

How much does one tip a cab?

Pearls

Remembering December 7, 1941.

And yesterday, Annie and I went to a fundraiser

for Honor Flight.

A foundation that brings WWII Veterans to see their memorial

in Washington DC. 1600 WWII Veterans die each day.

So time is of the essence.

We thanked our heroes.

We were proud to be in their company.

And we made Christmas cards.

To send our troops.

It was a magical evening.

Sunday Morning

When Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning-rod, the clergy, both in England and America, with the enthusiastic support of George III, condemned it as an impious attempt to defeat the will of God. For, as all right-thinking people were aware, lightning is sent by God to punish impiety or some other grave sin—the virtuous are never struck by lightning. Therefore if God wants to strike any one, Benjamin Franklin [and his lightening-rod] ought not to defeat His design; indeed, to do so is helping criminals to escape. But God was equal to the occasion, if we are to believe the eminent Dr. Price, one of the leading divines of Boston. Lightning having been rendered ineffectual by the 'iron points invented by the sagacious Dr. Franklin,' Massachusetts was shaken by earthquakes, which Dr. Price perceived to be due to God's wrath at the 'iron points.' In a sermon on the subject he said,' In Boston are more erected than elsewhere in New England, and Boston seems to be more dreadfully shaken. Oh! there is no getting out of the mighty hand of God.' Apparently, however, Providence gave up all hope of curing Boston of its wickedness, for, though lightning-rods became more and more common, earthquakes in Massachusetts have remained rare.

— Bertrand Russell

Company!

And tonight?