UGA Vll died suddenly yesterday at 4 years old. He had only been the UGA mascot for not quite two football seasons. UGA succumbed to heart disease and was one of several Bulldogs in the University of Georgia's history. In fact, he was the latest in the 54-year line of mascots owned by the Seiler family. Today, Georgia fans everywhere mourn his premature death.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
~Dr. Seuss

The Monument

God,                                                                                                           Before He sent His children to earth
Gave each of them
A very carefully selected package
Of problems.

These,
He promised, smiling,
Are yours alone. No one
Else may have the blessings
These problems will bring you.

And only you
Have the special talents and abilities
That will be needed
To make these problems
Your servants.

Now go down to your birth
And to your forgetfulness. Know that
I love you beyond measure.
These problems that I give you
Are a symbol of that love.

The monument you make of your life
With the help of your problems
Will be a symbol of your
Love for me,
Your Father.

~Blaine Yorgason

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children
Are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
First painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
Wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a
Stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
To animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
Favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
Things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a
Prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
Talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a
Meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
Learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
Of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
To take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
Handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
Feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
Responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
From your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
Hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
Cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
Productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
Wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when
You thought I wasn't looking'

My house smells like pumpkin! A friend of mine had a giant [like in the Great Charlie Brown Pumpkin] pumpkin. She cleaned it out and cut it up today. She split the pumpkin between three other friends. I had three huge pieces that have given me 12 freezer qt. size containers and counting...

I can almost taste the soup, pies, muffins and bread now.

The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on.

~Emily Dickinson

Patrick Swayze Died of pancreatic Cancer today at age 57. Thanks for the memories, Patrick.

Today I remember... although I have seen the aftermath of 9/11 with my own eyes and I have questions about the logistics of some of the things that transpired, I will always remember the heartache of New York, of the families and lives that were destroyed this day- some eight years ago now.

"As for those that carried out these attacks there are no adequate words of condemnation. Their barbarism will stand as their shame for all eternity."
--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

A child who loses a parent is an Orphan,
A man who loses his wife is a Widower,
A woman who loses her husband is a Widow,
There is no name for a parent that loses a child
for there is no word to describe the pain.

Wow!  The new tag made me take a closer at my profile page- I have been at Viewpoints over a year now- it doesn't seem that long.

If you are interested in genealogy you may want to check out some of my articles at:  http://www.examiner.com/x-7090-Albany-Genealogy-Examiner