Rest In Peace.
Sometimes, that written on a tombstone has a bigger meaning.
Don’t read on if you want to get depressed.

I found out last night that my cousin committed suicide.

He was about my age.
He lived in Minnesota.
He had a wife and a daughter.
He had 7 brothers and sisters.
He had 7 cousins.
He had brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws.
He had nieces and nephews.
He had uncles and aunts.
He had friends.
He had teachers and priests and co-workers.
And he took his own life.
Prematurely…before his time.

Why?

There are only questions left when this happens.
Suicide is the single most selfish thing a person can do.
It is hostile.
It solves no problems. Only creates them.

There are so many thoughts that go through my head.
I have not seen this cousin since probably 1980.
That is terrible. But, that is life. We did not have a connection.
But he was my cousin.
Part of my family.
My mother’s sisters child.

There will be no peace for Mark Beiter.
It is my belief that he will suffer for eternity now.
There will be no peace for any of us touched by this man.
We will always wonder…………………"could I have helped".
"If I’d only known….."

My brother called me tonight to say he loved me.
Thanks, Pete.
I love ya, too.

I’m an Olympics junkie….and now I’m watchintg the closing ceremonies.
A 30-foot trampoline? How COOL is THAT!
and the guy floating above the wind machine…..

(an aside…..
I’m old enough that we used to have trampolines in Gym Class. We had a balance beam and uneven parallel bars and the pommel horse. We even played —-gasp—–DODGEBALL!!!
But I really remember loving that big rectangular trampoline. So much fun.)

Back to the show….
Ohhhh, really COOL projections on the stage floor of an ocean and cracking ice and land. Neat idea.

400 Brides on stage. Very beautiful.
They are carrying light. And now have formed a dove.

And now, Ricky Martin??????

I have forgotten to take the garbage to the curb for the last TWO weeks.
I didn’t forget once.
No.
I forgot TWICE!!!
Now, in MY defense, the garbage guys USED to come early in the morning, then late in the afternoon, like at 3 p.m. I’m still on the last in the afternoon schedule in my head…..but they come in the morning now.

I don’t like putting our garbage out too early because of the prevailing 40 mile an hour winds that envelope our house every day.

I’ve been ordering stuff and junk from ebay lately and I have lots of boxes.
And I’ve become too lazy to recycle our cans and papers and cardboard and class, so I just throw it all away. And we seem to have ALOT of garbage lately.
And it’s ALL going to the curb TONIGHT.
or tomorrow morning.

If I don’t forget.

I’m learning how to use Photoshop Elements.

Here’s a photo that I added a white border to and text.
It’s my birthday cake!

But you can’t see the BORDER!!!!
grrrrrrrr.

Well, back to the drawing board!!!

My 3 year old at the time son once told me he wished he had two mouths.
One to eat with.
And one to suck his thumb with.
(He even sucked his thumb in the UltraSound!!!)

I’m kind of the same way….with things I want to do.

It’s pretty much and EITHER/OR situation. Like 70′s New Math.
I can EITHER iron Dan’s shirts OR read a decorating magazine.
I can EITHER make dinner OR shop for new shoes.

SOME things are both, though.
I CAN iron and watch TV.
I CAN make dinner and talk on the phone.

I’d LIKE to be able to read a magazine AND surf the web AND watch television at the SAME time.

I took a Photoshop Class for the last two days and have gotten absolutely nothing done at home.
And I’m not used to being gone. I think even the DOG was sad I was gone.
More Photoshop next week.