Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

The heat has turned my body and mind to mush this week, so how about we ease on through this column with a few random thoughts shall we?

1. I’m a little disturbed at the recent events in the Statehouse, and with the fellow who heads Iowa’s workers compensation division. On one side I feel his pain if only because I suspect most of us have had to deal with either a job change or a reduction in pay the last couple of years. Granted he is making more money than most of us, but still to have your boss cut your pay stinks, no matter how gift wrapped or well intentioned it is. On the other hand part of me wonders if he really needed to stand up in front of the media and throw a tantrum about it. Both sides get a D- for the way this was handled in my book and I think the Governor probably needs to take a deep breath before asking for people’s heads. Oh Lord…am I starting to sound like an Irishman?

2. The heat wave is on. Check on your pets and the elderly. Have you ever noticed that when it is cold, people just hunker down and try to make the best of it, yet when it’s warm, we all become homicidal maniacs?

3. I’ve started the countdown to corn dogs!

4. I need a few less “what the heck” moments in my life lately..how about you?

5. I’ll be sharing a story with you in a few weeks about a headstone. I had forgotten how little minds work sometimes, when the youngest saw one in my yard and asked if I was starting to bury dead people in it.

6. Anyone care to take a stab at guessing the date of the first frost?

7. Even after the last round of throwing things away during my “I’ve got too much stuff” phase, I find that I still have more stuff to get rid of. The only question now is if I should have a garage sale, post it to ebay, or just toss it and start fresh.

8. We as humans are interesting creatures. I’ve often said that when you loose the ability to learn you have lost your life. I still think that is true, but I think when you loose the ability to hope, that plays an even larger role in our destructions. I’ve been offered a copy of a book called The Secret, and when I’m done reading it I’ll post what I’ve learned.

9. A family of mud wasps seemed to think the space between the storm door and back door was a good place to set up shop last week. Neither they, nor I was very happy about that when I opened the door the other day. I’d never realized how much junk I had until I could actually find a can of hair spray.

10. Finally this week, as I am want to do from time to time, I’d like to take a few brief moments for a special wish to a very dear friend. It’s a big one I know, and yes it is true that when you hit 40 you suddenly wake up and find things ache a little more. Revel in the fact that you made it this far, I’m proud of your journey and can’t think of anyone who has stood on my side through mine. Remember to “be still”, give your Mom my best, don’t rush to get to the finish line and spend every day making a difference in someone’s life. Happy birthday to my “26 year old friend” and you bring the cats and I’ll find the rocking chairs!

See you next week…Remember, we’re all in this together.