MOTHERS DAY

This artwork is by my father-in-law, Reed Ulrey, depicting my wife and her mother in the style of Mandona and Child. 

Here is a prayer found on a card to be handed out at my church this Sunday.

Heavenly Father,

we give you thanks for the gift of mothers -

for their love that mirrors your own, 

their sacrifice, their patience and their faith.

Bless all mothers:  

those who nurture children in body and spirit,

those who long to be mothers, 

and those who have shared a mother's love

in any way.

Grant strength to those who struggle,

comfort to those who mourn,

and joy to those who celebrate this day.

Through the intercession of the

Blessed Virgin Mary,

our Mother and model of faith,

may all mothers be filled with your grace

and guided by your peace.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

SERIOUS BUSINESS

These are statistics from the CDC (U.S. Center for Disease Control).  I hope they don't depress you.  I've seen them before and they always shock me.  Facts are facts.  I'm giving you round numbers.

There are about 5,000,000 pregnancies in the U.S. anually.   The most common complication is miscarriage which occurs in about 20% of cases.  That's 1,000,000 miscarriages a year. 

About 1,000,000 abortions are performed in the US anually. 

About 21,000 stillbirths occure each year.  

About 21,000 newborns die before their first birthday each year.  

The US is averaging about 3,500,000 births per year. 

The US is averaging about 3,000,000 deaths per year.  

The average life expectancy in the US has now reached 79.0 years.  

According to the CDC, I'm not expected to live any longer.  Carry on!

WISDOM

Keep this in your mind.  

Plans are sometimes stupid, partially unworkable, full of holes, etc. 

BUT

planning is always important; intrinsic to positive accomplishments.  

Don't jump into something without planning.  Realize before you start that every phase of your plan might not work or won't work well.  No matter - don't throw the bathwater out with the baby.  The most important part of the plan is the final goal - that shouldn't change. Be flexible about how you get there.  Don't lose your hair because some phase of the plan doesn't work.  Keep chargin' forward!  

MIDWEEK PRAYER

I'm throwing this in - not to be sacrilegious, but to ease the tension . . . and I know God has a good sense of humor.  (. . . as seen on Instagram.)

Please God, all I want in 2026 is a higher bank account and a lower golf score.  You mixed them up last year . . . let's not do that again.

Now for the real thing.  

I feel we should pray for peace.  As usual, conflict between nations is rampant in the world.  Wars, hot and cold, go on.  There are so many and they come so often that we hardly notice.  World leaders feel it is their duty to be strong more than any other attribute.  There will always be wars until the whole world is one people - and that's a long time away.   Until then, we pray and do our best.  Here is a prayer combined with part of a song.

Lord, grant wisdom to world leaders and a spirit of understanding between nations.  Soften hardened hearts, inspire decisions rooted in justice, and let your peace flow across borders. For now, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.  Let there be peace on earth, a peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brothers all are we.  Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony.  I know it's the only path to world peace.  Amen

PUMPKINS

 My pumpkins are growing.  I planted 60 seeds from last year's white lumina pumpkin in 20 cups on 4/21.  They germinated within a week.  I first saw them pop out on 4/28.  They are growing nearly a half-inch per day.  You could be one of the lucky people to get a Lysaght Lumina this year.  Thousands have been clamoring for them this Spring.  We should be frost free by this weekend.  Don't miss out on this great opportunity.  Contact me for price and delivery.

QUIZZZZ

Don'tja just luv the way yung pple txt each other today?  I especially like the way they add letters to words for emphasis.  That's why I typed quizzzz.  

Does everyone understand all the text messages?  I'm not sure I do  

How about:  I LYSM.  Do you?  Then why couldn't you spend another two seconds to type it so I could  understand it?

Try this:  ICYMI there was TMI in my last entry.   

Try this:  NVM TBH IDC WTF UR POV is RN.  JK.  FWIW IDK n IDC.  

I could go on but this is just stupid.  

SON DAY

Yes, today belongs to the Son.  

From Genesis 2: 1-3  Thus the heavens and the earth were all completed in their vast array.  And by the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.

Eons later, God's son was murdered by His own people while teaching them about God - and on the seventh day, God raised him from the dead so that you would know that Jesus was the Son of God.   

Respect the day!

.

DERBY DAY

 It's the first Saturday in May and time for the Kentucky Derby.  Did you ever wonder where we got that word Derby for a contest?  

The etymology of the word dates it to a town called Deorby in England;  meaning "Deer Village."  Eventually, there was a county called Derbyshire.   In the 18th century, the 12th Earl of Derby founded a horse race at Epsom Downs that he called the Derby.  In the 19th century, all kinds of sporting events began being called "Derby".

Now you know.  

If you want me to pick a horse today, I'll take Commandment.  As for Renegade, the favorite hasn't won from the rail in almost 40 years.  

MAY DAY

Here's an entry I made 14 years ago and part of another I made just 7 years ago.  Notice that the first was about six weeks before I retired.

5/01/2012

MAY DAY

The first of May is May Day and in many countries it is a holiday.  It celebrates the start of Spring and all that goes with it. 

In many other countries, May Day is the equivalent of our labor day.  A day off work to celebrate the worker. 

In the US, we work.  If you are working today, be mindful that most of the rest of the world is not.

I don't plan on working on this date next year.
:)

5/01/2019

MAYDAY

May Day.  Mayday!  This has nothing to do with May Day.

Verbal "Mayday" is the same as SOS by Morse Code.  It means you are in trouble! Deep shit!  . . . but why "mayday"?

It's all because of the French.  In French, "m'aider" means "help me".  Believe it or not, the French pronounce "m'aider" as "mayday."

If you're in peril, say it three times: "Mayday, mayday, mayday, identify yourself and your vehicle, describe the problem, your location, then the actions you are taking and plan to take."   After this, a short prayer is in order.

WISDOM

Almost everyone falls into this trap.  Be aware!

People tend to overestimate what they can accomplish in the short run 

and 

underestimate what they can accomplish in the long run.  

The short run is an hour, a day, a week, a season.  Some things are just hard.  Don't get discouraged because everything doesn't happen quickly.  Don't restrict your goals to short time-limits.  Persist!  Keep at it!  You CAN do it!

... and, don't forget that I love you.

MIDWEEK PRAYER

 Let's be thankful this week.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Heavenly Father,

I come before You with a heart full of gratitude.

Thank You for the gift of life, for the breath in my lungs,

and for the countless blessings—both seen and unseen—that You pour into my days.

Thank You for the strength to face challenges,

for the lessons learned through trials,

and for the joy that comes in moments of peace.

I am grateful for the people You’ve placed in my life—

those who encourage, guide, and love me.

Thank You for Your unfailing mercy,

for Your provision in times of need,

and for the hope that anchors my soul.

May my life be a reflection of Your goodness,

and may my words and actions bring glory to Your name.

Today and always, I give You thanks.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

BEES

You gotta love bees.  It's not hyperbole to say we would eventually all starve if we didn't have bees.  There are a few other creatures that assist in the fertilization of most plant life but not many.  Pollinators are so very important.  

That said, this time of year you might see bees hanging around outside your house.  These might be carpenter bees or bumble bees.  

Carpenter bees look for new places to live and raise a family this time of year.  They like wood best but sometimes any crevice will do.  Yes, they nibble on the wood but not so much that your house will fall down.  Old wood is their favorite. Carpenter bees are solitary creatures who don't live in large colonies. Still, it is a good idea to discourage them from living too close to where you or children live and play. 

Bumble bees look for places to live underground.  It's not good to have them too close to where you live and play either.  They live in moderate sized colonies so you could see a lot of them.  None of these bees are a big risk of stinging you unless you threaten their home.  

Honey bees are the ones who live in hives - large colonies.  Their whole life is all about honey and taking care of "honey".  They are great polinators.  Honey bees are hairy and golden/brown.  Bumble bees are larger and very fuzzy.  You can be distinguished the bumble bee from carpenter bees by a close inspection of the thorax - main body.  Place this little diddy in your memory bank - bumble bees have a fuzzy fanny while carpenter bees have a shiny heinie.  

Good luck with bees this Summer.   

Carpenter bee 👉

Bumble bee 👇

QUIZZZZ

How often does our Sun light up exactly half of the moon?  

Please answer by comment.  Don't be afraid.  Identify yourself.  I won't make fun of your incorrect answers.  You idiots.  

TIDBITS

 TID BITS

Did you know that USB stands for Universal Serial Bus? ... and that a USB-A and a USB-C are different.  They are.  USB-A is the original - the old standard.  It must be plugged in a certain way.  The USB-C is a newer, smaller connector that can be installed in either direction,  It can handle more information and do it more quickly than the orginal.  Newer computers and cars have both available.  

By the way, what is a "tid"?