Land grant

Last night after dinner Gye Greene and I were talking about household chores when we were children. I mentioned that I had disliked yardwork -- particularly weeding -- as a child. GG suggested that perhaps it was it was not my plants that I was weeding, but rather those selected by my parents. I agreed with his insight.

Based on this, GG decided that when his child is old enough to understand, he will give her a small little area of the yard, to do with as she wishes: plant a vegetable garden, grow a rosebush, plant a tree or two, or whatever. Perhaps fence it in; maybe build a park bench; to mow, or to not mow. Simply... whatever.

It would probably begin as a small area -- perhaps two feet by two feet (1m x 1m) -- and expand as the child's abilities -- and vision -- expand.

GG conjectures that it might provide a sense of territory, and maybe build responsibility, and/or an enjoyment of gardening: it's your plants -- which you chose, bought with your allowance, planted and watered.

And: he says that since I live here, but am in ''permanent houseguest'' status, might I like a small piece of land, as well?


I would. :)


And thus, am looking forward even more to completion of the new house.


--TG

Air drums on e-bay

This came up among the results of one of my automated e-bay searches.: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7395721204&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1

I have seen ''air guitar'' ads on e-bay, but this is the first ''air drum set'' auction I have seen.

The ''Q & A'' section of his auction is moderately humorous, as well.


--TG

Inter-dependency of people

This is one of those touching parables that get sent around by e-mail. However, this one I liked enough to post to my blog. :)

This could be applied to global warming, as well as other world situations that begin as local problems.


--TG

---

The Thread in our lives


A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

"What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it ."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured, you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with the farmer around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.