Some Who Gave All…
Perhaps this is a little late in the day coming, but today is a day of memorial. I know most of you are out there enjoying cook-outs, friendships, neighbors and a day off of work (and you should). But…let us not forget the reason for Memorial Day, as a day to remember those who gave their all so that we enjoy those cook-outs. Send a shout out to people like Casey Sheehan, Pat Tillman and the unknown countless others who sacrificed their lives, for your right to freedom.
Casualties are not limited to those who die on the battlefield, but like burning embers in the hearts of our brave warriors, who gave their hearts and minds. We owe them a debt of gratitude and respect, as they offer their lives, their blood, their limbs and sacrifice their families to keep us free.
The price of freedom is not cheap, nor is it pain free.
“You can’t have something for nothing, you can’t have freedom for free” ~ Neil Peart
May God bless you this Memorial Day. Say a prayer for a service member or donate to the USO.
Atypical Nonsense Gets Noticed, Well Sort Of…
I’m a fairly active participant in a number of online forums and blogs in a variety of interests. One of my main interests is blogging, Wordpress and web design.
This morning, one of my online mentors and (what I consider) internet friend, gave our little blog some worldwide attention by giving us a link to our site in his blog post. In the blogging world, links are the key to attracting readers. Apparently, Brian was considering expanding his professional and diverse universe with yet another project, but for whatever reason, my particular comment helped to clear his mind, essentially bringing him back to Earth.
While this blog is not promoted as anything other than a simple family blog, it’s nice to get noticed. So I want to say thank you to my internet friend, Brian Gardner for the attention.
Brian is a Wordpress theme developer and a successful blogger destined for greatness. I’ve used a number of altered Brian’s themes on this site as a basis for the design and his success over the last six to eight months has become an inspiration to me. When I think of Brian, it reminds me of this lyric –
“..a spirit with a vision is a dream
With a mission.” ~ Neil Peart
Thanks, Brian.
Another Tearful Goodbye
I regret to announce that our beloved greyhound, Chaser, lost his battle with bone cancer this morning. His final day was a painful one, as the cancer apparently took over his left side, essentially making a torturous decision on our behalf.
It’s a difficult concept to grasp, choosing death over life. To try and rise above the guilt of what needs to be done and gripped with selfish desire to hang on to an animal you so desperately love. We decided to let him go, and to be free of his pain, choosing to deal with the hurt of our loss rather than the agony of his long suffering. But knowing you did the right thing, doesn’t make the choice any easier, you only take comfort in aiding in his relief and easing your mind.
If Gunnar was a prince among dogs, then Chaser was the humble, obedient gentlemen. The fastest dog I’ve ever seen, legs flailing as he galloped like a prized thoroughbred around his imaginary backyard racetrack. His toothy overbite provided a multitude of photo opportunities and caused the most ferocious case of halitosis on the planet, coupled with a comical chatter of his teeth, when he would get excited or nervous. For sure, he was an oddball, but a handsome one, a proud one and a loved one.
In our 2 years with him, he was a bit standoffish initially, not particularly fond of being too close and had a “personal space” issue, but quickly became a lapdog bottled up in the body of a big, lovable doofus with gentle eyes and a kind soul. Isn’t it funny how the small ones want to be big and the big ones want to be small?
We take solace in knowing that, today, he joins his little buddy and mentor, Gunnar, in doggy heaven. And though our time together was cut short, and we add a Chaser shaped hole to our hearts, we relish in the opportunity of having, knowing and loving our “Bubba”. He was a good friend, companion and snuggle bug.
We miss you, we love you and you can rest now, my friend. Goodbye gentle giant.