Happy Memorial Day?

I hope that everybody has a safe and happy holiday, but a holiday that pays homage to those lost in war has got to be poignant at moments, to say the least. My father served in the Vietnam War and I remember once I was out of the self-focused haze that was my early teenage years asking him about the friends he lost in the war. He didn’t really want to talk about it much, but he did tell me some things and I really never looked at the holiday in the same way. The barbecue never tasted as, well, tasty and the lemonade definitely was not as sweet.  Pesky growing up.

Please keep those in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana in your thoughts and prayers.

The flood waters have receded, but people are still putting their lives back together, especially those near and dear to the people who lost their lives..  The Deep Horizon oil spill is now the largest in Louisiana and while so many people who make their living on (or near) the water have been negatively affected, eleven families are mourning the loss of the workers killed when the platform exploded. Here are some words from Louisiana Senator Charlie Melancon that were long overdue.