Independence

Happy 4th everyone!!! As I write, I am watching my neighborhood fireworks show and it is absolutely beautiful. However, I want to take some time to thank all those who have and who still are serving our country. As a child of two military parents, I have seen first-hand how devastating it is to send your loved one away for years at a time, sometimes straight into danger, to serve our country. Yet, millions of people willing do so if only for the love of our country. No matter how one feels about the war, the current economy, or any other problems our country may face, that same person would be hard-pressed to deny that our country is a great one! Yes, we may feel that some things could be improved, but because people die for our freedom everyday, we are ABLE to feel this way without persecution. So, while life right now may be a little tough, let's give a little more thought to those who have fought and died for our country and what a great country it has become because of these people!!!

Rain

There's no type of weather I love more than rain. I would be perfectly content living in a city that got rain everyday of the year. When I look up at the sky and see that rain is on the way, I truly feel happy. While many people would completely disagree with my opinion, can these people honestly say that they don't feel relaxed when they hear the sound of rain falling on the roof? I also love to crack the windows during a light shower and savor the distinctly refreshing smell of the rain. In addition to loving rain myself, I always notice that the animals in my backyard seem invigorated after a rain as well. A little rain shower just seems to make the world a more lively place and I certainly feel that energy myself.

Hurricane Season 2010

Many have contemplated how a hurricane could potentially affect the process to stop and clean up the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. Meteorologists are speculating that Alex will become a hurricane before reaching land and believe it will hit closer to Texas and Mexico, hopefully lessening the impact on the Gulf oil containment efforts. However, any other hurricane can (and most likely will) have an impact on the condition in the Gulf. In order to allow ships to evacuate and then come back, work efforts could be halted for at least five days before and after the storm. Until something further is done, oil will continue to flow freely into the ocean for these ten days. In addition, waves, wind, and heavy rain could also force more oil towards the shoreline. Again, this affects humans, their livelihoods, and innocent sea life. Until this oil leak has been completely plugged (and probably for long after) the Gulf needs all the prayers it can get.

Today

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."---Psalm 118:24

Once again, today was a beautiful day and it made me realize how truly blessed I am. After a much-needed afternoon downpour, I went outside to enjoy some fresh air. Not only had the sun come back out, but the quick rain must have refreshed the animals because I watched them scampering and fluttering all over the place. A gigantic yellow butterfly sucked nectar from a beautiful pink flower bush. Two squirrels scurried up and down my trees teasing my dachshund by staying just out of her reach. A gorgeous bright red cardinal pecked in the grass looking for a nice, juicy dinner. All of these beautiful creatures made me feel so close to the Lord and the world He has created. If I ever forget to be thankful for the little things in life, I know all I have to do is step out of my house and into the wonderland that God has created in my backyard.

Summertime Loss

I'm a little off topic with this one, but this thought crossed my mind as I was enjoying nature this evening. As I walked my around my neighborhood this evening, I noticed that things were unusually quiet. It was beautiful outside, but I saw none of the neighborhood children outside enjoying the fresh air. As we know, many children are spending less time outside and more time watching television and playing video games. As teachers, we also know that all this time spent on "mind-numbing" activities causes the average student to lose quite a bit of knowledge over the summer. Many schools are attempting to stop this lose by requiring students to read, finish math packets, or complete other educational activities. Students at my school (from kindergarten to fifth grade) are required to read two books selected by the teachers and then prepare a project, such as a book report or diorama, to turn in within the first week of school. However, this rarely happens. As sad as it is, parents in our community cannot always afford to buy the books and expecting the public library to supply the same book to 100 students is not feasible either. How can I expect students to read and complete a project when their parents truly cannot put the money aside to buy the books for them? At the same time, I know that these students are the ones that usually get the least help at home and REALLY need to have something they are expected to do over summer to stop the usual knowledge loss. I would really LOVE any ideas about how my coworkers and I could stop this loss without expecting parents to take on the financial burden, which in turn actually hinders the children.

Summer

Ah....the first day of summer. But, for how long have we been experiencing heat indexes in the hundreds now? I often wonder why we even acknowledge the first day of summer down here in Mobile, when truly we've been experiencing summer for weeks now.

Today though, I felt was a different story. I know many would disagree, but I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful start to summer. Today, spending time outside was actually enjoyable, instead of the usual feeling of spending hours in a sauna. Because I love spending time outside so much, I absolutely love days like these! Sometimes I just like to sit on the back porch and watch and listen to nature and today was the perfect day for doing this. It's doubtful we will get so lucky, but it sure would be nice for the rest of the summer to be so pleasant.

The Babies

Well, my baby birds have not only hatched, but they have now flown away. They only first left yesterday so they are still hanging around my backyard and they are so cute as they learn to fly! I'm not sure what kind of bird they are, but they have the prettiest yellow stripes down both sides of their beaks. While I do love watching them, I think my little dachshund loves it even more. She will just lay in the grass and attentively watch them fly around for hours. She's usually full of energy and I have never seen her so still and quiet. It's amazing and absolutely adorable how entranced she is by them. I'm so happy for this miracle to be a part of my yard and hope more babies join us as the summer goes on.