Happy Birthday Meg!

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Corporal Louis Renninger (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 22, 1863, at Vicksburg, Mississippi. His citation reads:

Gallantry in the charge of the “volunteer storming party.”

Corporal Norman W. Ressler (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 1, 1898, at El Caney, Cuba. His citation reads:

Gallantly assisted in the rescue of the wounded from in front of the lines and under heavy fire of the enemy.

Private George Reynolds (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 19, 1864, at Winchester, Virginia. His citation reads:

Capture of Virginia State flag.


Today we’d like to wish our friend Meg a very Happy Birthday! We hope she has a great day!

I stumbled across part of a sermon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave on April 9, 1967. The part of the sermon I listened to, made me think of something MaMa used to always tell me. While she wanted me to be a Veterinarian (or some other kind of doctor), she always told me to take pride in whatever job I had. As long as it was honest work, be thankful for it and be proud to have it. “Greggie,” she would say, “there is no shame in digging ditches for a living. As long as you are doing honest work, then you have nothing to be ashamed of”. Thank God I don’t have to dig ditches for a living (these hands weren’t made for manual labor), but I still think about what she said every day I go to work (either at my full-time job or my part-time job). A lot of the problems we have today in this great country, I believe, come from the fact that too few people think this way. It seems more people out there needed a MaMa (or a MLK, Jr.) to help guide them.

The government hasn’t exactly helped the situation. I think people had their hearts in the right place… but sometimes what seems helpful in the current situation really turns out to be hurtful down the line. I listened to an interview of Dr. Ben Carson the other day and he talked about his mom working 3 jobs (I think it was 3… I know it was more than 1 and less than 10) so they wouldn’t have to go on welfare. Why? Because she said she never saw anyone come off of welfare. Now, I don’t intend for this to be an anti-welfare post. I am not against the government providing a “safety net” for the US citizens. But when welfare (or unemployment) are so good that they are a better option than working, then things need to change. But Greg, you say, there are no jobs to be found! The economy is bad! That’s crap. There are jobs out there. The problem is, most people think they are too good for the jobs that are out there. Maybe they are right… Heck, let’s say they are right… Who says you have to stay in a job forever? Who says that because you took a job (any job) to support yourself (and your family) that you would now be in that job forever? You get in there and you work hard and maybe you move up… or maybe your hard work leads you to a different line of work (more to your liking)? I was always told it’s easier to get a job if you have a job. You can’t sit around waiting for people to do stuff for you. I believe in luck… I also believe that you make your own luck.

Yet again, this is another area where I think government should do less and churches and non-profits should do more. And more people need to change how they think. It’s not easy… but I think the country, and really the people, will be better off if it happens. Anyway, let’s read part of the sermon I was telling you about…

Now the other thing about the length of life: after accepting ourselves and our tools, we must discover what we are called to do. And once we discover it we should set out to do it with all of the strength and all of the power that we have in our systems. And after we’ve discovered what God called us to do, after we’ve discovered our life’s work, we should set out to do that work so well that the living, the dead, or the unborn couldn’t do it any better. Now this does not mean that everybody will do the so-called big, recognized things of life. Very few people will rise to the heights of genius in the arts and the sciences; very few collectively will rise to certain professions. Most of us will have to be content to work in the fields and in the factories and on the streets. But we must see the dignity of all labor.

When I was in Montgomery, Alabama, I went to a shoe shop quite often, known as the Gordon Shoe Shop. And there was a fellow in there that used to shine my shoes, and it was just an experience to witness this fellow shining my shoes. He would get that rag, you know, and he could bring music out of it. And I said to myself, "This fellow has a Ph.D. in shoe shining."

What I’m saying to you this morning, my friends, even if it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go on out and sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures; sweep streets like Handel and Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry; sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well."

If you can’t be a pine on the top of a hill

Be a scrub in the valley—but be

The best little scrub on the side of the hill,

Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a highway just be a trail

If you can’t be the sun be a star;

It isn’t by size that you win or fail—

Be the best of whatever you are.

And when you do this, when you do this, you’ve mastered the length of life.

You can read the full sermon here:  )

I have to say, I’ve seen people like this before. People who do a job that other people might look down on (i.e. be too good for), but they do it so well that you can’t help but be impressed. People like that inspire others to work harder. So today, I tell you my dear reader… be that person. Be the best of whatever you are.

We’ve got the Hootie and the Blowfish concert tomorrow night! I can’t wait! It’s going to be GREAT!

For our pictures today, we’re going to take a little look in the past at some pictures of Lucy (and a couple others… but mainly Lucy). I’ve seen some articles recently about the “vicious” pitbull breed and how they should never be around children. I’m not saying every dog is the same and I wouldn’t trust every dog around my children. Truth is, I wouldn’t trust my children around every dog. But until the day I die, I will tell anyone who will listen that Lucy was GREAT with children. I don’t know if I can say she was the best, because I’ve had some great ones, but I can tell you that there’s never been a dog better with children than Lucy was. I think it’s all in how you raise the dog(s). Friends, there’s not much I am great at… but if there’s one thing I was great at, it was loving Lucy. Even The Wife would agree with me on this one. From the day I met her until the day she died, I loved that sweet dog as much and as well as I’ve loved anyone. So forgive me if we ever have a discussion about pitbulls and I tell you to “F--- off!” because you think they are terrible creatures. I’ve seen how great they can be.

By the way, I just remembered how people would ask us if we were going to make the dogs “outside dogs” once Mary Ruth was born. What’s up with that? Why didn’t anyone ask us if we were going to make Mary Ruth live outside once Susie was born? I get that some people are “dog people” and I also get that some dogs are better “outside dogs”… but if I have a dog, I want it to be inside with me. I don’t want it outside all day and night… That’s no fun for me. Besides, Lucy would have been outside for about ½ a day in the summer and she would have said, “To hell with this! Maverick, dig me a hole under this fence so I can get out of here. This is no way for a princess to live”.


Picture Thursday

Lucy... learning from Dog Master Dach, the wisest of all dogs.  He was able to train Lucy before his passing.  He also had a few weeks with Maverick...

Maverick... waiting for me to wake up on Christmas morning.  Look at that face... it's like he's thinking "Life is so perfect! I hope things never change!"  Mary Ruth was born 3 days later...

When we brought Mary Ruth home, I gave Lucy and Maverick a big rawhide bone each back in our bedroom while The Wife took MR into the nursery.  After she was in there and had the door shut, I opened the door to our bedroom to let the dogs out.  Maverick stayed in there with his bone.  Lucy started going out to the den, but then turned around... She knew something was up.

The Wife put Mary Ruth in the pack-n-play and walked down the hall.  Maverick followed her... Lucy set up shop by Mary Ruth.  I guess she figured someone had to be responsible and watch the baby.

Lucy and Mary Ruth playing together

Mary Ruth got a chair for her first birthday that had "Princess" written on it.  Lucy saw the name on the chair and figured it was for her...

Lucy was in the chair... Mary Ruth got up there and pushed Lucy over so that they could "share" the chair.

Mary Ruth loving Lucy

Yep... this is a vicious breed that shouldn't be around children.

Lucy was happy... Mary Ruth was happy... Maverick was a little pissed off that he had to wear a bow...

I might like Scooby more if he had stayed this small... or I might have crushed him with my feet by now.

He's not so bad when he's sleeping

I'll be honest, Lucy wasn't really 100% in favor of us getting Scooby.  Truth is, she wasn't even 10% in favor of us getting Scooby.  Oh well... we all make mistakes (and by "we", I mean The Wife... for getting Scooby).