END OF FEBRUARY HODGEPODGE!

1. What is something you'll never forget about the age you are right now?

     The thing uppermost in my mind is the incessant battle with our cancer. Granted, and thankfully, SWMBO is in remission but the battle rages on. It is like we're on a carnival ride and we want to get off but we just can't because there is no end to this carnival ride. I will remember the laughs, the tears, the hugs, and the the sometimes lonely vigils that are all part of battling cancer whether you're the patient or the caregiver. SWMBO has and continues to battle valiantly. She is a most remarkable woman!

2. What's a household chore you've never done? How have you managed that???

     

     I don't think that there's any chore that I haven't done at least once. I hasten to add that I might not have done it correctly but I think I have done all the chores at least once.

3. Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture? Explain? 

     

     This is an interesting question. It seems to me that all of us are an amalgam of the two, nature and nurture. I think that the scales tip toward nurture being somewhat more. We all have innate gifts and talents that are a result of our genes. However, we become our best selves when we are taught how to properly use these innate gifts. If we are taught to use them to serve and help others we become a force for good in the world and make it a better place. If we are taught to use our gifts to the detriment of others we become a force for evil in the world and make it a less desirable place.
     Some people who come from less than ideal circumstances overcome their shortcomings and become exceptional people. Other people who are raised in privilege with the best of everything become vile human beings with little to no regard for anyone. In my humble opinion the difference in how they turn out is nurture, how they are trained and guided through life. 

4. Friday (February 28th) is 'Something on a Stick Day'...funny because Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens recently sent me an idea for a question relating to this topic. What's your favorite food eaten on a stick? 

     This one is easy! I absolutely love teriyaki beef strips. Periodically SWMBO and I will order Chinese Take-out. We always get teriyaki beef and teriyake chicken with our order.  I also like ice cream novelty treats that come on a stick like Cream-sicles, Chocolate Ice Cream Bars, etc.

5. Which of your five senses do you treasure most, and why?

     I treasure my eyesight the most. I love to read, watch movies, watch the world around me. I love standing on a mountain and looking over the panorama that spreads out before me. I love a clear winter night and viewing the millions of stars that seem to go on forever. 

     I love looking into SWMBO's beautiful face. I love watching my grand kids play and interact with their parents. So definitely my sight!

6. What's the best music, theatre, or sporting venue you've been to? What made it great?

     It's no contest...Fenway Park. Besides being one of the oldest Major League Ballparks in the country with all the attendant history, in April 2005 I got to work the season opening game. I handed out baseball swag, magnetic schedules I think, and I got to watch the Red Sox players receive their World Series Rings and I also got to watch the game that followed. What made it special was I got to work with my daughter. It was a great daddy-daughter day. We got to walk around and explore the park and take pictures from several different vantage points. We sat on the "Green Monster" and stood on the field by the scoreboard. What a great memorable day!

7. It's the last week of the month...in five words or less bid adieu to your February.

     DIE WINTER! DIE! DIE NOW!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     The more I listen to, watch or read news accounts about what's going on in the country I become more concerned that we are in big trouble. The president continues to lie to the American people and continues to act lawlessly in the discharge of his office. He has a pen and a phone and according to him does not need the Congress.
     Our government consists of three co-equal branches. The Congress makes the laws. The President is responsible for executing those laws and the Judicial Branch is supposed to keep the other two branches true to the U.S. Constitution.
     There's the rub. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It specifically says what the government can do and what it cannot do. Our president is exceeding what he is empowered to do. The Congress seems to be powerless to stop him. It does not bode well for our Republic.