Training

They say that police officers need more training. Parents have 18+ years to teach their children to be respectful of other people and their property. They have 18+ years to teach right from wrong. They have 18+ years to teach kindness and compassion and good moral fortitude. Why are the police to blame for people's bad behavior? If you could not control your own blood why do you expect a stranger to? If you did not see the signs of a problem brewing, or chose to coddle that problem, police are not to blame when crimes happen. They are there to handle the mess that you created .

The Penny

Last week I went to a local craft store to buy fabric. As I left the store, I saw a penny in the parking lot. The superstitious rule is that you only pick up a penny that is heads up, otherwise you will have bad luck. All other coins can be any side up, but a penny has to be heads up. It was heads down, so I walked away. Yesterday, I went back to the store to get some more fabric. As I left, I saw a penny in the parking lot. It was heads down so I started to walk away. Then I realized that it was the same penny from a week ago. I guess no one wants bad luck.

A Crafter at Heart

I had the weirdest dream last night. It was a combination of world events and arts and crafts. I will recount it, as best as I can remember.... I was walking Shelby in my backyard. I saw a bit of open fence and two big Labrador Retrievers were on the other side growling. I quickly pulled Shelby away and brought him in the house so he would not be hurt. I then went to the back of the fence and put a piece of mesh across it to close in the yard. A few minutes later a neighbor came to my door screaming that I was anti dog and a dog racist. I said I was only protecting my small dog. She said that the other dogs had a right to be on my property and if I fenced them out, I was a dog racist. I said it was my property and she said it did not matter. I could not block the dogs out. A while later I looked out and on my lawn were signs saying I was a dog racist. They said other mean things also. I called the neighbor and asked her why she had to show my house online and say I fenced in my yard. She said she was sorry and had no idea it would go this far. I went outside to remove the hate signs. Now is where the crafter part kicks in. As I was pulling out the first sign, I noticed that the wooden post had a nice curve to it. I could use it in a project. The next sign was on a wooden bench. I could use the bench as a child's step stool. The next sign was on an easel. Another great find. I separated the good wood and papers from the bad. I took the good ones inside to add to my crafting supplies and the bad wood I threw on my neighbor's lawn. Always a crafter!

Precaution

There comes a time when precaution turns into obsession. Precaution is normal concern. Obsession is faulty thinking concern. Since the pandemic, people have aligned themselves by their mindset. There are the laid back, the normal, the precautious normal and the obsessive. Either end of the spectrum is not good. The laid back make it dangerous for all of us. The obsessive make it hard for themselves. I hear a lot about preexisting conditions, but in reality, the virus is an equal opportunity problem. I have seen sick people go through it well and healthy people suffer. Most people have some kind of preexisting condition, whether it is heart, lung, blood pressure, diabetes or cancer. If you are over 50 years old, you probably have more than one. I have two. At some point you have to cautiously resume living. If not, you are preventing yourself from living. Being holed up away from civilization is not healthy either. Your body remains safe but your mind is at risk. Totally separating from other people and the world at large, waiting for a cure, is like handing over your life to a silent enemy. Wear a mask, keep your hands clean, socially distance and then start to resume your life.

They

If "they" say it, it must be true. Who are "they"? "They" have been around since the beginning of time. No one knows exactly where "they" live or even "their" names. Every generation has them. The nameless, faceless group of know it all's. If you are having a discussion and throw in the sentence, "they say", it makes the other person listen to the opposing argument a bit more. Even if it is really your opinion, it goes further to say it is "theirs".

1-2-3

The other day, I was having a conversation about restaurants with a few friends. They were discussing the places they go in Florida. I have come to the age where Florida is now a part of the dialogue. The first person said that they go to Ocean's One for an inexpensive lunch. The next person said that they go to Two Jays for a nice sandwich. The other person said that Three G's was better than Two Jays. One more person chimed in that Pier 56 had fantastic food. Do all of the places in Florida have numbers attached to their names. One, Two, Three, Fifty Six. All we need to do is add in Four Season's and Seven Seas. Then we could have a full hand in a card game.

Summer

Today it feels like summer. I know that it has been summer since June, but I never had the summer feeling. After a warm and sunny weekend, my mindset has changed. I am ready to enjoy the season.