The youngest of my brothers is having a birthday today. Happy birthday, bro!
I still remember my mom being pregnant with him and the night she left the house in a hurry to get to the hospital. Back in those days, new mothers were kept in the hospital for a week to be watched over and cared for by the nurses. Of course, in today’s world you can leave the same or next day. But back then she stayed for a week and the whole house felt empty without her.
He was a good kid – all boy. Loved to get outside and ride bikes, play in the dirt or take a small boat out to the river for hours at a time. Got in trouble a few times, but learned his lessons.
In many ways he’s the exact opposite of me. He’s a super tightwad and I give away everything to those in need. He works at the same thing, over and over and over. I flit around doing one thing now and something else next. He’s lived in the same place his whole life. I move about and love to travel. He’s very finicky about what he eats and drinks. I love variety and trying new things, always cooking up new recipes that sound good or catch my eye on a magazine cover at the checkout counter.
He’s never had any of his own kids, but he’s got a good woman at his side and he’s been a father figure to her two kids for a long time – the only real father those kids have known. I’m proud of him for all he’s accomplished and for being a hard working, loyal man. Happy Birthday, Lil Bro!
Celebrations, Family, Memories
Ever since I started earning a paycheck and having to pay taxes – not necessarily at the same moment in time – I decided to not file my tax forms or pay any tax due until the last possible minute. A passive protest, of sorts.
So every April 15, I have the tax forms filled out and sitting in an envelope ready to mail – but I don’t leave for the post office until 11:00 pm. The forms always get their deadline postmark of April 15, and I get the smug satisfaction that my return is included in the avalanche of last minute mailed returns that hit the IRS inbox on April 16 or 17 or whatever it takes to get from Nashville to Memphis or wherever they have to go these days.
Around Here, General Living
There is something magical about putting together a kite and then watching it dance on the wind. Most people can figure out pretty quickly how to tug the string and launch a kite, then give it a little more string to soar higher and higher.
We found a new kite at the local K-Mart called a “finger kite” for only $2 in the toy section. They are little pieces of flexible plastic, shaped like airplanes, birds and other animals. It comes with a little plastic spool of string that fits over your finger and you wind it up by hand. The kite tail is very long and made out of the same thing that cassette tapes are made from, but in different colors. In fact, if you ever have to replace the kite tail, just pull the tape from an old cassette and tape it on the finger kite, and you are good to go.
Around Here, Family, Just for Fun, Shopping
April has always been one of my favorite months of th year. It is spring, no matter where in the U.S. you call home, although that means different things in different parts of the country.
Around here it means temperatures in the 70′s most days, and rain for a couple hours at a time, several days each week. We need the rain for the flowers, lawns, gardens and crops, so most days I don’t mind the rain and changing my schedule a little to accommodate Mother Nature.
The rain is usually gentle and steady, but we do have a few nights when they are calling for severe weather, which often means the threat of tornadoes. That is why we keep the TV on 24/7 – so if there is a tornado warning we will know from the special blaring warning that comes on all the local TV channels.
Tornadoes are not to be dismissed lightly – if there is a warning issued, then you truly need to take cover. Your life and the safety of your family may depend on those split second decisions – because bad things don’t always happen to just “other people.” Protecting the ones you love is one of the most important responsibilities you have as an adult.
Around Here, Environment, General Living
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