So here's the short of it, 
Another early morning tomorrow!

And here's the long.

This has been a whole week of early mornings!  One more really early rise and getting out earlier than normal and this week will be over!  I've got a pretty hectic schedule tomorrow, so by the time the day is over maybe I'll be able to come home and stretch out and relax.  And I sure hope it works out that I'm able to sleep in on Saturday!

But for tomorrow it will be another really early rise.  So one more time - I'm going to hope that once I make it into my bed, I'll be able to fall off to sleep without too much trouble.

So here's the short of it, 
Maybe the groundhog was right.

And here's the long.

Over the weekend they brought the groundhogs out.  And from north to south the report was that the groundhog did not see his shadow so an early spring is on the way.  Here we had a beautiful spring like day and you could believe that it won't be long before coats will give way to light sweaters and the spring rains will bring on the blossoming trees and the crocus.  Of course there's that prediction of a great big blizzard heading to New York, so I don't know what they might be thinking about the groundhog's prediction!

But here in the south - we'll take those warm days.  I do wish we'd had just a few more really cold days to knock out some of the bugs. But we'll take what we can get.

So here's the short of it,
I hope you'll sing.

And here's the long.

Today I heard another conversation about singing - actually about not singing because of not having a good voice.  I didn't grow up in one of those singing all the time nuclear families.  But there was certainly music all around.  We never visited Mount Victory that there wasn't singing.  And then there were the car trips.  For many years we didn't have a car with a radio, so on our longer car trips there was always singing.  Mom and Dad might sing Barbara Allen or Running Bear, or maybe Dad would sing Here Ol Rattler Here.  Often we kids would just listen but sometimes we'd join in too.

Of course when we visited Mt. Victory, my Mom's side of the family, there would always be piano playing and singing.  Everyone sang - I remember singing at the little community church.  Grandpa would play the piano and everyone would sing. Back at home there might be cousins singing on the front porch or up in the grove.  And of course often the Aunts or Uncles would sing.  I have such a fond memory of Uncle Vernon and many cousins and Aunts and Uncles singing Danny Boy.

And then there was dinner time at the Howard house.  Frequently the blessing before our meal was a song such as God Is Great and God is Good or For Health and Strength which is the one that we still sing at my house.

So I guess here's the thing.  I want people to sing.  I don't really care if their voice is high quality concert level.  I don't even care if they can carry a tune.  I love the singing.  Of course I love to hear someone such as my cousin Daniel who has perfect pitch.  But I also love the little kid or the older man who's off key or a little flat but is singing enthusiastically and is so engaged in the song.  I love to hear a group singing the Star Spangled Banner and hear everyone strain for that high note.  I just love the singing.  I do know that a trained choir is an amazing sound, and I love to hear it.  But I love to remember those ordinary folks coming to the little church in Mt. Victory and singing praise and that was in its own way a really amazing sound too.

So around here we're going to sing - off key or not - we're going to sing.

So here's the short of it, 
Tonight the little boy from Alabama is safe. 

And here's the long.

In Midland City, Alabama, a bus driver who gave his life protecting "his children", was laid to rest - a little Kindergartener has been reunited with his family - and the perpetrator of the murder/abduction has been killed.  In the days to come, perhaps we'll learn more about what drove 65 year old Jimmy Lee Dykes to this end.  Right now we know so little about what made him tick.

But for tonight, Ethan is out of danger and with his Mother and grandmother, and lots of us who have carried this little fellow in our thoughts and prayers are breathing a little easier.

So here's the short of it, 
True Heroes. 

And here's the long.

I hope you'll take a moment to read this article by Bob Green.  This is the story of four chaplains who died 70 years ago today.

I've heard their story several times, but I'm so glad Mr. Green wrote about it today and that CNN carried the story to remind us.

I honor them all:

Father John Washington, born in Newark, New Jersey, who was Catholic; the Rev. Clark Poling, born in Columbus, Ohio, who was ordained in the Reformed Church in America; Rabbi Alexander Goode, born in Brooklyn, New York, who was Jewish; and the Rev. George Fox, born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, who was Methodist.

So here's the short of it, 
Today we had a bit of snow. 

And here's the long.

About 10:00 this morning it started snowing in Chattanooga.  I was in the grocery store when Liga sent me this picture of her apartment complex parking lot!  It looked the same in the grocery parking lot as I left, and it had not even been snowing when I went into the store!

Now of course, within just a couple of hours most of it was gone. But it kept spitting snow at us all day long.   This was not the snow I was hoping for.  I know I should have thought of that before I up and moved myself to Chattanooga, but I've always wanted at least one good snow each winter.  And so far this is as much as we've had.

So come on snow! It's good for all of us to have a taste of winter - even as far south as Chattanooga!

So here's the short of it, 
Friday!!

And here's the long.

I sure am glad the weekend is here!  Of course it's a busy weekend, but that's OK.  It's not work days so it'll be a time to recharge.

I've got this fairly regular weekend routine that allows me to get a bunch of stuff done.  But here's the thing, I've got several things to do that aren't within my normal, so I'm having to rearrange everything so that it all gets done.  Now, I happen to think that's a really great thing.  It just makes you step out of your routine and see things with new eyes!  It's not like it will be any great drama to change the bed linens in the afternoon instead of the morning - but it will stir me up a bit I'd say.

So here it is on Friday night.  I'm going to head to bed and get a really good night's sleep.