THINGS I WONDER ABOUT

While driving from the lake to Adrian, I passed a farm house with three items for sale: A motorcycle, a bicycle, and a manure spreader. They sat beside the road for about a month and I drove past them quite a few times. Gradually, over a long period of time, each item was purchased and disappeared. The first thing to sell was the manure spreader, then the bicycle, and the last item to be purchased was the motorcycle. I found it intriguing that a farm implement was the first to be purchased. Perhaps a sign of the times? Or was it just a random event? Are motorcycles in less demand than manure spreaders? Is farming so tough that a farmer had to sell his equipment and his recreational vehicles? What is the real story behind these events?

Last Sunday night, two men fell off a pontoon boat in Devils Lake. Sadly, one of them died trying to swim to shore. The other man was able to swim to shore and is alive. I wonder, how the heck does anyone fall off a pontoon boat and why would they try to swim to shore? All of the facts are not yet known about this tragic accident; but I bet there was alcohol involved. They must have been drunk to do something this stupid. The lesson here is that drinking and boating is just as dangerous as drinking and driving.

For a long weekend, my wife and I recently traded houses with one of our sons and his family. They got to enjoy our lake house and we enjoyed staying in their Detroit suburb home. The experience emphasized the fact that the suburbs are totally different from the City of Detroit. Unfortunately, Detroit is bankrupt, filled with corruption, crime, and disillusionment. It has turned into a ghetto of uneducated and unhappy people. On the other hand, the Northwestern suburbs are filled with lovely homes and successful people. There are lots of great restaurants and interesting, fun things to do. Such a sharp division between the city and the suburbs is a worrisome thing. Lots of theories as to how and why it happened. Whatever the reason, it is a damn shame. It did not have to happen; I point to Chicago as proof of that.

Another thing I wonder about: Why do women who drink Pina Coladas like to walk in the rain? Tomorrow, I will be doing research on this question. Tune in next week for the answer!

SELDOM DISAPPOINTED

Don't you hate it when one of your favorite authors dies? It is like the loss of a good friend. Tony Hillerman died last year and I still miss him. He wrote 18 wonderful mystery novels about the Navajos and their culture in the south-west. His books often were about conflicts between the American legal system and traditional Navajo definitions of crime. Reading his novels, gave me a good understanding of the strength and dignity of the Navajo culture. The Navajo are more sensitive to moral weakness than the white society that surrounds them. I feel like I personally knew Hillerman's main character, Lt. Joe Leaphorn. Before writing novels, Hillerman was a journalist, editor, and teacher.

In his biography, he describes growing up in the Depression on a small farm in Oklahoma. He was in the army during World War Two, and took part in the D-day landings. He won the silver star for valour and a Purple Heart for being severely wounded by a mine.

Tony Hillerman had an interesting philosophy, "If one learns not to have unrealistic expectations, one will often be pleasantly surprised and seldom disappointed".

WHY I LIKE JULY

It is my favorite month! Let me tell you why: Strawberries, Raspberries, Corn on the cob, New potatoes, Peas, Lettuce, String beans, and all the good stuff you can get at a Michigan farm market. Because of the glaciers movements millions of years ago, because of the forests that grew thousands of years ago, because of the climate created by the Great Lakes, because of the work of early settlers, the soil in Michigan creates the best produce in the world (my opinion as a master gardener). The flavor of Michigan's fruits and vegetables is way better than California or Florida. Yes, our season is short but our stuff is much sweeter. As a chef and a gormand, I alwas look forward to July. My idea of heaven would be to have July for twelve months of the year.

There are many other reasons for loving July: Grand children visit me at the lake. Fair weather sailing, Long walks on long days. And because of the lovely weather, I have more opportunities to meet people and make new friends. You can't have too many friends! "A friend is a rare book of which but one copy is made". And speaking of books, I enjoy reading on late evenings in July. All and all, July is the best month for me. I am damn lucky because we still have half of July to come. I refuse to think that half of July is gone!

SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE

Life is difficult. life is complicated. Life is filled with sorrow. Life is filled with joy. Life is what you make it. Shakespeare said, "Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifiying nothing." Shaw said, "There is true joy in life." Whatever you call it, life can be made better by the simple pleasures that can be found between the sorrows and joys. It is important to look for them and savor them. Yesterday, I took two of my grandchildren tubing on the lake. I went for a long walk in the country and enjoyed nature. I picked and arranged some flowers from my garden. For dinner I had tacos and beer with friends. In the evening, on a glider on the end of our dock, I enjoyed a drink and a fine cigar while viewing a magnificent sunset. On this beautiful July morning, I watered the grass.

Some of my favorite simple pleasures are doing things for others. Breakfast in bed for my loving wife. Watering Jan's flowers, helping a neighbor girl to learn how to water ski. Being a good listener for people with problems. Doing a favor for a friend. Being helpful and doing favors for others makes me feel good about myself. The simple pleasures make life worthwhile. Look for them and savor them!

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

In 3 days we will be celebrating the birth of our nation. Of all our forefathers, Thomas Jefferson was the most instrumental in shaping our destiny. This brilliant and remarkable man was the author of the Declaration Of Independence and the Statute For Religious Freedom. He was also the founder of the non-religious University Of Virginia. He was intelligent, extremely organized and very, very busy! His list of accomplishments are astounding. He was a lawyer, scientist, philosopher, statesman, architect, musician, farmer, bibliophile, inventor, wine connoisseur, and mathematician. He was fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and Greek. Probably, the most accomplished human being of all time. We are damn lucky this guy was part of our history. Too bad modern politicians are not more like him. I think we should all say, "thank you, Thomas Jefferson!"

Ironically, he died on the fourth of July, 1826. That was the 50Th anniversary of the United States and only 183 years ago. Have a happy and thoughtful 4Th of July!