March Madness

March Madness is in full throttle.  College basketball teams are frantically scrambling to advance to the final four.  Not only are the teams in a panic attack mode, but so are the alumni and fans. What is it about sporting events that draw thousands of people to gather in one spot to scream, wave flags, paint their faces and act like idiots?  It must be part of human DNA because sports mania presents itself early in our development.

We spent years following our sons from one Idaho town to the next watching them play baseball, basketball and soccer.  We screamed, jumped up and down, yelled and hollered out unheard instructions.  I did most of the jumping.  We became the sports idiots.  Some parents actually forget they were parents and became so carried away that they were asked to leave.  Fortunately, we had enough self restraint to not cross that line and embarrass our boys.

Years later we are again repeating these events.  A grandson has now advanced to playing school basketball and we again find ourselves yelling and jumping up and down.  I still do the jumping and Nolan yells some, but not as loud.  He was always more dignified than me.  The emotions related to watching sporting events which have been dormant for years have suddenly come alive.  Connor is now the creator of our sports tension--the center of our focus.   Once again we get to holler unheard instructions and become bleacher coaches.  We are part of that special group called sports fans.

It is funny how some things never change no matter how many years pass.  The referees are still stupid and make very poor calls, the coaches still need to rethink their line up and game plans.  I thought they would have figured those things out by now, but apparently not.  There is nothing that gets the adrenalin pumping like a sporting event.  It is nice to be the grandparent and watch with a little more distance.  Too much adrenaline at this point in life could be fatal.  Being a grandparents has several perks.  We get to watch Connor develop his skills, work hard to do his best, take pride in his accomplishments and be a team player.  But, best of all, when the team does not come off victorious, we don't have to take a disappointed, angry boy home and spend the rest of the night with him.  We've had our turn three times over.  He has parents that get that special experience  

My Cows

I pass the remnants of a still working farm every time I head into  town.  I leave my sub division and drive down East River Road which still has a small farm/ranch that has not been swallowed up by new homes and white fences.  In the few acres left untouched, the farmer still raises cattle.  There is a colorful mixture of cows: black, brown and white, and solid brown.   
I always give them a casual glance as I pass by checking out where they are pastured and how close they are to the road.  The farmer moves them through the fences dividing the pastures throughout the summer months so they can graze on the grass.  Sometimes they are close to the road and stand under the trees to escape the heat.

The special treat comes in the late winter when the calves suddenly appear.  Like magic there they are.  When did they arrive?  How did I miss seeing them yesterday or the day before?  Never the less the tough little babes are scattered across the field.  I never find this repetitive event boring or casual.  It is still a wonder and a fascination every year.  Life can be so frail, yet these small creatures endure wind, cold blizzards, lack of shelter and still manage to thrive.  I am the lucky participant in this struggle, for I see the ones that are healthy and strong.

I know how hard it is to be a rancher this time of year.  Wendy and Jean share their trials and stories with me.  They are not a watcher like me, but working ranchers along with their husbands.  They regret  the loss of a new born and rejoice in the survival of another.  Because of my friendship with them I understand and appreciate the winter miracle of birth even more.  As in all things of life, nothing should be taken for granted.  Perhaps those closer to the earth understand this in a deeper sense

I see the calves in my little corner of the world as a gift and a reminder to take time to appreciate what is around me and how easy it is to get caught up in the trappings of a busy and hectic world.   

  

It Is Here to Stay

Believe it or not I can remember living without TV.  My family did not jump onto the band wagon immediately.  My mom and I would walk to town to pay the light bill and phone bill at the respective offices.  We had one car which my dad took to work.  The walk was not done with dread, but with a spirit of freedom and expectation.  On hot days the pedestrian tunnel cutting through the underpass was a welcome break from the summer heat.  It was cool, dark, and had a tremendous echo when you screamed.  After the bills were paid we mad a detour.  

On Main Street,  Ford Music was the only store that sold TVs.  To draw customers in they placed a TV in the window and keep it on the entire day.  People jocked for a position on the sidewalk where they could view the new and exciting thing called television.  We were right there with the best of them.  Very few people had TVs yet and it was still far away from being a fixture in every home.  I don't remember being bored, or lacking for entertainment before this new invention invaded the American family.

Many, many, many years later the TV is the center of the home.  It occupies the most prominent space.  Not only does it command attention, but homes are decorated around the black rectangle.  This once fascinating piece of new technology which was so fresh and exciting has become rather boring.  Or perhaps, I have become boring and fail to connect with what I am seeing.  My entertainment level still identifies with Father Knows Best, Leave It To Beaver, Happy Days and Bill Cosby.

Little did I know standing on the sidewalk watching the fuzzy, black and white picture coming through the small box, that it would become such an important part of our world society.  Wars are now played out in our homes, world figures are brought to their knees before our eyes, and we see presidential candidates up close and personal.  There is very little in the world that takes place without everyone knowing about it.  Good or bad it is part of us now.  Television connects the planet and makes it smaller and more personal. There are days when I think this is good and feel empowered by the knowledge it brings and other days I wish I didn't know so much beyond my own front door.       

Trees

Winter changes the look of our surroundings. I like the stature of trees in the starkness of winter.  Their hidden shapes: the bends and curves of branches, twisted trunks, the rise and fall of the peeling bark.

Roots hold tight to the soil and sink deep to find the life giving water.  Even in dormancy, without their green canopies trees have much to say.  They speak of endurance, solitude, determination and giving.

  
I have planted trees in a new yard  anticipating small green buds in spring, branches hanging heavy with apples in late summer and leaves of gold and bronze in the fall.  Even when I was lacks in my nurturing the trees still gave back.  Never failing in consistence and generosity.

 
Trees grow old, and the years of wind, cold and rain show in the broken limbs and knotted roots.  They have stood as silent sentinels watching and listening to the changes taking place around them; keeping secrets.

I just like trees: their inviting shade, green dense umbrellas, scarred bark and the stately manner in which they wait for the winter months to pass.  Trees are good for the soul.  In some strange way, they warm us and make us feel better.  Everyone needs a tree.  It makes us look up.

Welcome 2012

2011 is in the last hours of countdown  I really do not look at life in terms of new years marching along one by one, but rather terms of how I made the year my own.  A year is just a year and things will happen as we travel the twelve month journey.  Some days may be good, great, okay or miserable, but we still own them.  We will always have pebbles, rocks, and boulders thrown down in front of us.  Sometimes we can walk around them, jump over others and some we have to climb.  But in between these rocks we find space for peace, joy, laughter, and love.  It is the spaces between that keep us moving and climbing. 

The good moments are where we find our anchor that keeps us from drifting.  Life is too precious to look down the road and wait for a new year hoping it will be better than the one we are working through.  Grab onto what is good and positive; let it take you past the days that are not so bright.  Occasionally, it is good to stop and count our blessings...big and little ones that make the path just a little wider and straighter.

What I wish for us all in 2012 is a positive attitude, grateful heart, determination and faith in ourselves.

 
No matter how tough the winter or how bitter the wind the flowers will always remember to bloom!

Journey to Mars

How far we have come!  Forty nine years ago the world was forever changed.  February 20, 1962
found Americans glued to their televisions sets as John Glen journeyed into space.  We all watched as the rocket propelled him into the relatively unknown world of outer space.  He orbited the earth three times and in so doing opened the door to further space research and travel.  I was thirteen and totally captivated.  It was such an exciting time as America competed with Russia to go the farthest, the fastest--it was all about being the best.

My generation has been privileged to see the advancements in space exploration from its first conception.  I remember dark nights in the backyard watching for satellites to pass over and thinking how amazing it was that an object could continuously circled the planet and not fall back toward earth.
A new world and vocabulary was opening up.  I watched the first moon landing on TV totally captivated by such an unbelievable event.  The country was united and  differences were put aside as the nation celebrated the victory.   There was a sense of pride and excitement shared by Americans as the space race moved forward.

Nolan and I watched launches as kids.  They were always a topic of discussion in school as each mission advanced in duration and sophistication.  If a launch took place during school time a television was hooked up in the lunch room so we could watch.  Everything about space was new and fascinating, still a little bit magical.  The beginning was a series of baby steps as knowledge about space exploration and what it held for the future began to build.


By the time our children were in school, space exploration was something they saw as nothing out of the ordinary.  The last fifty years have been full of wonder and zest to go further and farther.  Now we stretch out to planets that have been beyond our reach. What once seemed only possible in a science fiction movie is moving closer to reality.  How much is yet to be achieved is still a big question waiting to be answered.


The latest vehicle was launched into space on November 26th.  The Mars Science Laboratory  Curiosity will arrive on Mars in August 20012.  Nolan and I will follow its journey closely and with more than just a casual interest.  We watched the launch the of Curiosity up close and personal.  It is hard to explain the emotions that were aroused as the rocket left the pad and moved toward the sky.  The intensity and color of the flame as ignition took place was unexpected.  It was a brilliant orange.  The energy of the rocket thrust was surprising.  Imagination is no substitute for the real thing.  Being present you understand the amount of energy it takes to accomplish such an undertaking.  The anticipation builds as the final countdown begins.  In one voice everyone counts down the last ten seconds. A roar of ignition and the flame builds as the rocket leaves the pad.  It is followed by  cheers and yells.  Every person is caught up in the emotions of those few seconds.  For a brief period we are all united by the experience; just proud Americans grateful to stand there together and share the moment as one.

WOW! what a thrill to be there---MSL  A long journey about 45-50 million miles to Mars!  Scheduled arrival is August of 2012.  GO CURIOSITY!

All Things New

Here we are in Florida--Coca Beach for a week.  We have the opportunity of a life time.  Saturday Nolan and I will be at Kennedy Space Center watching the launch of the Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory.  After watching space launches since we were children we will actually be part of one in person--how exciting!  Sometimes life presents us with a gift that is totally unexpected.

We spent today exploring the area.  It is refreshing to have the opportunity to see new territory.  What is fun and interesting to us is probably boring to the natives.  Palm trees, ocean, sand, colorful kites flying on the beach and wild life that is totally foreign is like a walk through a picture book.  It was impossible to drive by the alligator on the road side.  We were not the only outsiders who had to stop for photos.  It was us and the couple from Italy.  I suppose an alligator here compares to seeing deer in Idaho--a common sight. 

Last night we attended a reception for the  MSL project participants and those invited to the launch and work shop. The NASA director gave a few remarks. He made a point of reminding everyone that we should be proud of this endeavour as Americans.   Everyone is part of the success.  It was refreshing and up lifting to be reminded of what is positive about our nation and put the negative aspects aside.  He said one of the most thrilling experiences is watching the launch of a vehicle that actually leaves this planet and moves toward an object in space.  So far out there--what an accomplishment for man.