On the Wings of a Dove

This post, presumably from it's title has become the most popular ever on this blog. If you've come here in search of a dove photo or perhaps looking for inspiration, take the time to look around. I think you might like it here, on The Bright Side of the Grave.....



Standing in the 85 degree, sun drenched cemetery wearing a black suit was not the issue. Somehow my highly polished black shoes seemed to absorb all the heat away from my body and manage to cook my feet to a crisp. It's been dry and hot here for over a week and everything is starting to get crispy. The cemetery grass is a lonely shade of brown with the exception of the occasional weed that seems to thrive in this sort of weather and is jutting high above the nicely kept lawn, waving in the breeze as though to stick it's nose up at the fragile state that the lawn has come to.
The minister went on and on. You could tell that everyone was getting weary. The Scottsman  tending to his bagpipes was standing under a tree in the distance wiping the sweat from his brow. The soldiers stood at attention in the hot summer sun awaiting their orders.
As I stood silently next to the hearse, I noticed the two turkey vultures circling above the cemetery. Just an hour before, we were joking that it would be terrible if a dove that we released was to get snatched up for some hawk's or vulture's lunch. The young man tending to the basket containing a single dove, also watched nervously.
As the minister finished his committal prayer, the Army Chaplin stepped up and began his speech. "Another soldier has been called by the great commander-in-chief" he called out. Just then one of the vultures made a swoop down toward the crowd gathered around the open grave. I overheard one woman say, "Isn't that cool that the Eagles are circling above". The tension is mounting with all of us that were working the service.
Just then the firing squad fires three rounds. The vultures disappear. Now's our chance.

While the bugle played Taps, we expedited the release of the lone dove, representing the release of this man, husband and father's spirit to heaven. The dove circled three times and then disappeared in the distance. As the American flag was presented to the widow, we witnessed the return of the vultures. The dove made it home safely! And there wasn't a dry eye in the whole cemetery as the casket was lowered and the bagpipes began to play again.

Do we know what we're doing or what.

Circus What?!

If you dare!

Allow me to introduce to you on this Brighter Day, Circus Afro.

Can you survive all 10 minutes?

This is a ten second clip from the new movie Madagascar 3 that has been looped to play over and over for 10 minutes. The challenge is to record yourself watching it and post your reaction. After watching a couple of others try it, I got together a small group and tried it together. Some left the room (so we turned up the volume) and myself and my neighbor Jan managed to make it through the whole thing.

While we did not record ourselves, I can tell you, you will never be the same.

Give it a try. I won't make you record yourself. But leave in the comments how far you got and how it made you feel.

After I have a few responses, I'll chime in with our reactions.

Have fun!

Name Change Not Allowed

Before you read this article, How kewl is it that they got married in a cemetery?

When Stephen Hill and Joshua Snyder went to the courthouse to officially hyphenate their last names together, they ended up pulled aside in a room with the magistrate.

The Columbus, Ohio, couple were celebrating their one-year anniversary after having been married in Washington, D.C.

Snyder says "it was kind of humiliating" to expect a name change would be no big deal and have it turn out so differently. "They basically told us to lie. They didn't use the word 'lie,' but they basically said if you use the word 'marriage,' it will get denied."

But Hill refused to lie any longer, having served in the military for two decades under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. And so the couple filed their request to change their last names with marriage clearly labeled as their reason.

A news report about the couple's request for a name change added to the anticipation for today's hearing. A judge heard their request today but opted not to issue a decision, instead promising to mail it to them. Changing a last name in Ohio would require a 10-page application, printing their names in the newspaper, $138 each, and then an appearance before the judge who normally renders a verdict on whether to let the name change go forward.

Some might remember Hill as the soldier booed by an audience during a Republican presidential debate for asking whether the candidates would try to reinstate "don't ask, don't tell." And he and his husband are also part of a lawsuit from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network that is seeking to get the Defense of Marriage Act ruled unconstitutional.

Watch the news report on the couple and their request.

We've never given much thought to changing our names. We'll both answer to either. Our marriage was to tell each other that we are committed to each other for a life time. We don't need anyone else to justify that.

But I would hope that if we decided to make that sort of public commitment, that we would be allowed by the law.

Seven Year Itch

After seven years, we find ourselves just as in love as we were then. 

We'd dated for six years prior to getting married, so I think we both knew what we were getting before taking the plunge.

I looked up what to get each other for a seventh anniversary and I found it to be..... wool.

That being the case, I think I've found why we have all heard of the seven year itch.

Instead....

To celebrate, we rejoiced in the fact that our business is doing quite well.

That being said, we didn't have much time to ourselves. 

But, if you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that I believe in celebrating even the most mundane things. So, we couldn't ignore this special day.

Friday morning after work, we decided that we would go to our yoga class to get a good start on our special weekend. After driving there and waiting, we found out that it had been canceled for that day. If we were not so busy on Wednesday and actually went then, we'd have known this. 

Not the kind of people to miss an opportunity though, we headed down to the restaurant that we've been wanting to go to for a while now.

 Called Howe's Bayou, you can guess that it is a Cajun theme. 

Omygootness!

I got myself a Po'Boy with BBQ Pulled Pork, done right with the slaw right in there.

Edward got himself the Shrimp Etouffee' with butter beans on the side.

A little side history for you.... My parents owned a couple of chiropractic practices in Louisiana back in the day. Cajun dishes were not rare in our household.

These folk pass the test!

I have experienced many of bad imitations when it comes to Cajun. But these folk have done it right. 

We arrived as they were opening and had the place all to ourselves. The waitress is one of the owners. She made great conversation and we talked about our trip last year as well as some of her favorite New Orleans haunts. If you ever find yourself in Ferndale Michigan and wonder what you did to deserve it, 

you must have done something right, because you are just steps away from a wonderful experience.

After stuffing ourselves, we drove home feeling less than stretched out and limber.

Since that was only Friday and our anniversary isn't until Sunday, we had to go out Saturday night too.
This time we went someplace a lot closer to home. A place called the Twisted Rooster. It is a Michigan based place that serves nothing but Michigan grown and raised products. We've had so many amazing meals here that I couldn't possibly tell you about any of them without feeling like I'm not telling you something just as important. I'll tell you that it is a must, to enjoy a meal there if you find yourself in our great state.

To cap our weekend, we spent the evening watching the sun go down sitting on our patio surrounded by all the flowers, trees, birds, rabbits, Pugsley and Eachother.
 I couldn't think of a better way to spend our special day.

Now, if only we didn't have to work tonight and are forced to sleep the day away. But then again, maybe that's not such a bad way to spend it either.