Good morning all:

Weekly child quote:

“Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry.” — Bill Cosby

Weekly Super Bowl quote:

“My Super Bowl prediction: at least one Doritos commercial.” — anonymous

Two quotes this week – a two-fer. The first to honor the grandchildren we’re currently sitting. The second is for the ‘guess what’ tomorrow.

Now then, this is an up-front-before-I-forget moment. Unbeknownst to me, Marcia had alerted some family members (one out of the four regular readers of these Ramblings) that I would write extensively regarding the outcome of our burglary. This was to be done last week. One problem though, I was not in on those discussions, so, here it goes.

After all the legal maneuverings it all came to this. Monday before last we took a call from the Prosecuting Attorney asking our input on a proposed plea deal. Eighteen year old Major McQueen was placed “dead-to-rights”, i.e. red-handed (a literal pun, since he had cut his hand getting in), in our home and one other house a few blocks away. The asking was two to eight years on each count; the offer was 4-years on each count – to run concurrently. To me it was a no brainer and I concurred. The next day the plea was accepted and McQueen was prepped to enter the State penal system for his four year stint. I believe there are too many different state facilities for him to be reunited with his father who currently is serving six years somewhere. Like father like son.

Glad that is behind us. There, now I can have my morning coffee.

It’s Show-Time – This week Dinah had a recital. You know what I mean, assemble a room full of pre-schoolers, a couple of assertive, domineering, and pushy moms, lots of tutus, sparkles, and a handful of shy and embarrassed boys. And then a room full of smiling but deep-down, quite bored parents.

I had forgotten that Dinah goes to a Montessori preschool which is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati, This was to be quite different. And, it was.

No pushy moms. No embarrassed boys, just happy kids on screen. On screen? Let me explain.

The kids volunteered for their parts. A few tutus were spotted (Dinah was one), but other’s staged a mini-play with a partner, did an ethnic dance, played bongo drums, tap danced, even boys doing a beat-box number. The kids operated the stage curtain, introduced the next act, and gave credit to all the stars. The adult teachers were involved only in the role of facilitator. The kids even took a trip across the way to the Conservatory of Music to see what a proper stage looked like and how it operated.

What they did then was brilliant. Earlier that week, during regular class time, the kids performed their whole performance, in costume, and in front of a camera. The evening of the big recital meant that everyone, the actors included, watched the performance on a large projection screen. No early arrivals required, kids could point out the fine details of their starring role to brothers, sisters, and parents. No ‘pregnant’ pauses, no ‘malfunction’ delays. It was really enjoyable, and it even ended perfectly on time. Great work Dinah!

  Animal Planet – Spring in February

Closing – David, who retired this past year, is having a birthday this week. This one is significant, it being the first after retirement and that means that there is no turning back. Enjoy it.

Thoughts are with our family’s patriarch, Oom Joop (my father’s youngest brother). This past week at age 95 he broke his hip and is hospitalized. At that age a broken hip is more than problematic.

(brothers;  Joop on the left, my father on the right. Circa 1936 [click twice over for full size])

Joop’s whole life has been that of celebrating life, being involved, and staying current, and none of that has changed. My brother Pieter told me that the other day Joop’s daughter and granddaughter were in the hospital room when a nurse stopped by to take my uncle’s blood pressure—it was way too low and that was not good she told my cousin and my grand niece. Joop, who had been lying in bed in a bit of a ‘semi’ state, opened his eyes and told the three women that; indeed it was serious, because in the past whenever he’d been in the presence of three lovely women he’d always had high blood pressure.

Yup, last Saturday I did my 5-mile walk. Today might be a perfect day for a repeat of that venture. Actually, it’s been a case of spring fever in these parts with perfect high 50s to low 60-degree weather and mostly sun all week. Last year we had one snow storm after another, this year none! So far that is. Since, as Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who saw his shadow on Thursday, prognosticated; we have six more weeks of winter in front of us. Actually, that’s great news. Six weeks is a whole lot better than twelve, isn’t it?

Make it a great week everyone and be safe.

Cheers,
Dirk