More government in our lives is not the answer? Really?

I was reading through the blogs and papers yesterday about the economy and the dilemma that we seem to find ourselves in.

I came away from reading some of the articles believing that bigger government is not having the desired impact on the economy..

Hmmmm!

I think I have heard that somewhere before when a new president took the reigns of a crumbling economy--and then he turned it around.

I was reading an article on FoxBusiness.com about another coming stimulus package and had my eyes opened about the current situation. The article was titled "Watch Out, More Government 'Stimulus' is Coming!"

Really--I feel pretty stimulated already. I sure don't have much more to spend, but I am stimulated.

FoxBusiness made the following statement: "The folks in the White House are true believers. They really believed that bigger government could solve our economic problems."

And then they went on to write about how the White House needs a radical solution, but that Fox was proposing a different kind of radical--that in the form of Ronald Reagan. They wrote: "Most of all, Reagan had the same radical view of government that our founders had: That government is the problem, not the solution; that policies should be developed to keep government out of our lives, not give government control over our lives; that the way to turn our economy and our spirits around was to put our faith in the individual, not the state."

Of course, anyone who knows me knows that President Ronald Reagan is one of my heroes. He was a man who could help me see his vision. He had a vision for America, and he had a way of sharing that vision so that common people like me could understand it.

I remember the labels of "voodoo economics" which were slapped on his policies.

But you know what--his policies worked. This country went from double digit inflation, yes, I bought a house once with a mortgage interest rate of 11.75 percent and thought I had received a good deal, to single digit manageable inflation,. Not like the deflation we are experiencing now, but an economic recovery that sustained this country and the entire world for over 20 years.

President Reagan made the following statement in his Second Inaugural Address:
"There are no limits to growth and human progress when men and women are free to follow their dreams."

Fox Business wrote this about Reagan in closing the article:
"That's the kind of radical vision we need now. Not one based on models that failed us in the '30s, but based on the policies that turned our economy and our spirits around in the '80s."

I guess I am not ready to say that economic stimulus has not worked, but it sure seems to have made a few people rich--and those people were the cause of the problems in the first place. And the rest of us are going to be left with higher tax bills to show for the government's intervention into the economy.

It is almost like a dream come true. Oops, sorry, a nightmare.

Monday Musings - August 16, 2010

1. Drove to Ithaca and back for the weekend. Long drive, especially in the rain yesterday. A convertible is just another car on the road in the rain.

2. We let the GPS find the shortest route to my parents house as we were coming in from a different direction and although we knew the roads pretty well we totally forgot--there are still dirt roads in upstate New York.


3. August is a funny month--it was chilly in NY and hot here in MD. We were surprised how cool it was just a couple hours away--even as we were returning yesterday, it was a lot cooler in York, PA than here in MD.

4. Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo. I'm glad some people can still find fun in the attractions that surround us. Jeremy and Lucas sure seemed to be having a good time.

5. Makayla has become a great traveler. She especially likes riding in Cat with the top down and she puts her nose in the air.

6. The pool really got hammered during the storms--it is amazing how much work a few thunderstorms can cause--despite the good they do with the rain which refreshed the land.

7. The O's had a bad weekend--they lost 2 of 3 to the Rays. But they played tough! And they are 9-4 so far for August, which is a winning record.

8. Someone said something about football season. Do people really get excited about preseason scores? Really--come on. Wait a month till the real season begins.

9. Does anything feel better than sleeping in your own bed after a trip?

Butterflies on the Wing

Yesterday as I arrived home, I was greeted by two butterflies dancing in the mid-day sun. Ok it was cloud covered.

They reminded me of the summer and the joys and smells of the heat and the trees baking in the summer sun

As it was the start of the weekend, they really made me take notice and appreciate the fun they were having.

We planted a butterfly bush this year. Maybe we will have even more next year.

Looking Up From My Pool

The other evening, as twilight fell over the house, I went out to the pool to relax for a few minutes after a rough day. I did not even take a glass of wine with me--I just changed into my swim suit and went to the pool to relax.

The air was heavy and humid. That summertime kind of air that lets you know it is there. So heavy it does not even carry the fragrances of the flowers with it.

The pool and the air temperature were nearly the same, yet even so, laying on my floatie it was relaxing and serene.

There was no wind.

I leaned back on my floatie as far as I could and looked up into the darkening sky to see my friends--the bats, maybe as many as 10 of them, maneuvering through the air to reduce the ever growing mosquito population.

I watched the bats dance in the air for a long time--mesmerized by the patterns they flew and awed by the ballet playing out before my eyes.

In summers past, occasionally one of them would swoop down and skim the surface of the pool for a drink of water, but not tonight--the mosquitoes were higher up and that is where these stealthy hunters stayed.

I longed to dance in the air like the bats. It reminded me of when I used to think I wanted to fly jet fighters and scream off into the sky like a modern knight on his steed armed long-range lances slung under each wing.

But, here I was, enjoying their winged dance. Relaxing in my pool--which is one of my favorite places.

And then--in the ever darkening sky--there it was. A solitary point of light that just pushed its way into my vision.

I thought of the saying--

"Star light, star bright,
first star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
have the wish I wish tonight."

And I could not think of anything to wish for.

Another star poked its way through the ever darkening sky and broke off my thought. I noticed again the bats, and the ever growing number of stars and I began to paddle to the side of the pool because I remembered I had things to accomplish before the night was fully upon me.

But my time alone in the heavy, still summer air watching the bats and noticing the stars is something I will remember for a long time.

Remember? It was Bad!

I was going through my images from winter yesterday and ran across this one. It reminded me of how bad it really was during the middle of the snowpocalypse.

Bad.

Nothing but snow and cold as far as could be seen.

No travel.

No sun.

Nothing except dreaming of a warm beach somewhere.

Thank you for summer!!

I love summer and the beach and the salty air. And the heat.

Bring it on it is so much better.

Washing off at the beach after a morning of fun in the surf and the sun.

Sleeping the afternoon away to get ready for the evening of more beach time and looking for turtles laying their eggs.

Swatting mosquitos and wondering where the dragonflies are.

Really--don't rush summer's ending. The alternative is just too cold to imagine and it will be here soon enough. Coats, gloves, boots and the ever present cold.

Charleston Restaurant: Dinner for a Really Special Anniversary

Chris and I, upon the recommendation of Mike and Nicole, decided to do something really special for our anniversary dinner. Something even a bit over the top for us. We decided to eat at restaurant which earned four of five number 1's in the current Zagat rating--Charleston.

We had a 6:30pm reservation, which is early, but it allowed us to enjoy an unhurried evening which did not end until after 9:00pm at the restaurant.

The restaurant is fabulous and opulent. We were greeted by the valet to park our car and there the experience began. Everything was top notch and first class. We enjoyed some time together in the bar, sipping some champagne to begin our unhurried dining experience. A high point that happened right there, in the bar, was that the staff recognized that Chris was cold and they offered her a wrap to improve her enjoyment of the evening.

From there, we were ushered to our table. There were apologies that our table request could not be accommodated due to a small function in that room, but the table offered in the wine room was more than adequate--and perhaps even better given our early hour.

We chose the "The Season" from the menu and the wine pairings. We were just too overwhelmed on our first visit to try to develop our own unique menu for the evening. What we had provided a good sampling of the menu items. And in our case this was a seafood themed meal which was very well paired with some excellent wines.

The meal--served in courses consisted of:

Rich Lobster Soup with Curry accompanied by Amontillado Viejo, Byass "Del Duque"

Local Heirloom Tomato Salad, Warm Goat’s Cheese Medallion, served with Sportoletti Rosé, Mas de La Dame (Les Baux de Provence) 2009

Jumbo Lump Crabcake, English Peas, Roasted Sweet Corn, Mustard Cream Chardonnay, accompanied by Dehlinger "Un-Filtered" (Russian River Valley) 2006

Pan-Roasted Halibut, Grilled Local Baby Squash, Creole Sauce Valtellina Superiore, with Conti Sertoli Salis "Sassella" (Lombardia) 2006

Stilton – cow’s milk, blue, creamy, rich, mildly spicy (Nottinghamshire, UK) and topped off by being served with Heitz Cellars Port "Ink Grade" (Napa Valley) NV

finally,
Local Blackberries & Madeira Sabayon

Fabulous. Each course was perfectly cooked and expertly served in gourmet style. The portions were just the right size--not too much and not too little. The wine pours were also perfectly matched to the course.

They also added a small pastry platter for dessert and a melon starter that I never really understood exactly what it was composed of--but suffice it to say, it too was awesome.

In the end, I did not want for more--except more of the atmosphere and the ambiance which in the wine room was absolutely perfect. The wait staff led by the Captain, Ryan, were spectacular and attended to our needs before we even realized we had them.

Cost? Well, it is not for the faint of heart. It is well worth it, but I have had complete meals for four for less than what I left as a tip.

Will I return? You bet! I am a definite fan.

The Lights of Land and Life

Sometimes I read things that really get my mind turning. Good stories about things that turned out well. But I wind up with so many questions.

Today I invite you to read a news item I read yesterday.

It is titled: Three Boaters Rescued after Three Days Lost at Sea. It is a CNN news item.

(CNN) -- Three boaters in South Florida have made it back to worried friends and family on dry land, three days after they went missing when their 32-foot boat broke down during what was supposed to be a one-day fishing trip 20 miles off of West Palm Beach.
The trio -- identified as John Land, 48, David Blakeney, 39, and Kevin Wood, 45, all from the local area -- and their disabled boat, named the Shade Maker, were spotted Saturday night by a U.S. Navy frigate 85 miles east of Jacksonville, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
None of the men was injured, and their craft was towed to shore in a joint effort between the Navy frigate and the Coast Guard, arriving in Mayport, Florida, overnight Saturday.
Skipper Land told CNN affiliate WJXX that the boat blew an oil pan gasket and the radio failed when he tried to call for help.
The men's situation grew tense when the boat was caught in a Gulf Stream current and drifted further north.
The men were reported missing early Friday by a relative who grew worried when the boaters did not return Thursday at sunset as originally planned, the Coast Guard said.
"We could hear on the radio, we could hear everybody looking for us, but could not get back," Land said.
Land said they ate their catch to maintain strength during the three days at sea.
"Last night we had raw dolphin and a little spicy mustard," he said.
He was grateful to be back on shore Sunday, expressing appreciation to see signs of life again.
"It is good," he said. "I'm looking at buildings and trees and stuff. It is a beautiful thing because out there we couldn't see the glare of the city lights anymore."

I have been fishing off West Palm Beach, only last month. We were not 20 miles out to sea by any stretch of the imagination, but we were in the same general area.

I found the last sentence of the news item to be the most interesting.

They could not see the lights of land and were afraid for they were lost at sea.

I have always thought that it would be so beautiful to look into the starry night sky far away from the lights of cities and to ponder our God who created each of those stars.

But then, I did not imagine myself adrift in a small boat--helpless, out of food, caught in the Gulf Stream and headed for the wide open Atlantic Ocean and storms of unimaginable proportions.

It is a fully different perspective from what I imagine for myself--but at least their boat continued to float.

And so I question myself--do I find comfort in the things created by humans--the buildings and the lights--signs of civilization? Despite what I want to believe, could I live without those things? How would I have felt given the same circumstances--adrift in the open ocean with few prospects for rescue?

The three men had a lot of time to think and ponder.

I wonder if they prayed.

I wonder of they talked about death and dying.

I wonder what they talked about and how they probably tried to repair the engine of the boat and the radio on which they could hear the searchers, but could not respond.

A fun day of fishing became a three-day ordeal. A "three-hour tour" so to speak.

And yet, they were rescued! I cannot imagine the joy they must have felt as they realized that the ship they saw on the horizon had seen them and was heading for them with the intent of rescuing them. I'm sure it was unimaginable joy and relief.

I'm glad this story had a happy ending.

Monday Musings - August 9, 2010

1. Today is a very significant day--35 years ago two 19 year-olds said I do, and they are still together. I guess the old Paul Simon song title is really true: Still Crazy After All These Years. I'd modify it a bit to read Still Crazy in Love After All These Years.

2. It happened last evening--the NFL is back for what could be its last season unless the owners and the players decide not to kill the cash cow. Pre-season Football results: Cowboys 16 Bengals 7. Importance to the overall season: My wife is happy.

3. And not to forget the O's--they won yesterday and are 5-1 since the beginning of August! The O's usually crash and burn during August.

4. It appears that BP really has killed the oil well in the Gulf. Good for them. Now they need to clean up the mess and stop patting themselves on the back for fixing a problem that they created.

5. Our local Exxon station (at the corner of Washington blvd and Old Montgomery Road), the one that I have been doing business with for the past 10 years decided to add a 5 cent per gallon charge for credit transactions. And their counter service for cash is terrible. I now use the Hess station across the street which is usually 1-2 cents per gallon cheaper for gas anyway. Go figure. I wonder how that is going to work out for them.

6. It was a good weekend, we got a lot of yard work done around the house and got the gardens mostly back into shape. It was nice to be working outside.

7. I need to mow the lawn--how could I forget that?

8. I brushed Makayla and when I was done, I thought I had another dog sitting next to me!

Summer Flowers

I love the flowers of summer.

They bring life and excitement to the scene and keep everything interesting.

Yesterday was a work day around the house. We had a lot to do and catch up on after being gone on vacation and really tired when we returned.

We made two trips to the landfill in the newly repaired pickup truck. I am proud to report that with the exception of two small items--everything was recycled!

And then we had the idea to remove a fairly homely, tall bush which was out of control near the deck and replace it with a crepe myrtle.

We have one beautiful red crepe myrtle on the other corner of the pool area. We have watched it grow now for the past four or five years and it has become a magnificent specimen and so we decided to drop another one on another corner--nearer the deck.

This activity was preceded by removing the 10-12 foot tall bush which was previously occupying the spot. Cutting down was easy--digging out the stump--not so much. Thank goodness for an all wheel drive vehicle which could assist in encouraging the stump to come out of the ground. That was a lifesaver because the digging was really tough. And did I say it was hot?

If you look in the picture of the red crepe myrtle you can see the tire tracks in the grass as we drove down around the back of the pool to access the area where the stump needed to be pulled--I love driving on the lawn!

It was very hot like in the mid-90's. Probably not the best time of day to labor outside--but it was all good and the end results are nice. We still need some additional top soil and a bag of mulch; which is the project for today.

I like the blast of color that the crepe myrtle's provide and it is one of the advantages of living our area that I enjoy. They just provide a canopy of color to enjoy. And then underneath--as this newly installed crepe myrtle grows--aha, then come the hostas for ground cover underneath.

And we have hostas the need to be moved because they have matured into huge hostas!

We have become a fan of hostas because they are green and they keep the weeds down.

Here are two of the varieties we have--the little standard green hosta that most people get, and then the huge Frances Williams variety--which was recommended to us and we love. With their huge leaves they fill up an available space.

Who knows what today will bring--another project and more satisfaction about being home and working around the house.

Sand Castles and Memories

Sand Castle built by Mike, Ethan and Jax during July 2010

Works of art arrayed on the beach, for only a short time.

Built by hands striving to make their mark on the world--no matter how temporary.

It is like writing your name in the sand on the beach. A strong statement that "I was here" but one that will soon be gone with the wind or the tides.

I have seen some fabulous sand art. And I am always impressed by its transient nature--the artist, or sand sculptor, uses their talent to create a design which causes people to pause and consider it, but also realize that the art is only temporary. And then the canvass is clean for them to start over.

It must be a freeing experience.

Not to be constrained by what has already been done and yet free to take yesterday's creation and remold it to make it different for the mood of the day. Even, in some manner, better.

I am sometimes so busy trying to create something that will last and have an enduring quality, that I forget that like the flowers of the field that bloom and then die in a day, transient things can be beautiful because they make a memory!

It is memories that really last and endure. Not the item or the thing. Over time things grow old and weathered. They crack and peel and become soiled with the passage of time.

But memories--they remain. And they are always with me.

And I can smile at the remembrance of them.