Thursday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

“Dream as if you will live forever, live as if you will die today.”

                                             James Dean

Here is a story of courage, thanks to #2 girl.

                                     The Saga of Heidi

This is the tale of Heidi. She is small of stature but has the heart of a lion. No one knows what her real name was because she was named Heidi by a receptionist at a doctor’s office. In 2005 she was found roaming the streets near Lexington, South Carolina by a citizen who called the officials to come and pick her up because she was crippled and barely able to move. Heidi was found and taken to a safe shelter for the time being. Little Heidi is a dachshund whose spine had been damaged and her hind quarters are inoperable. The Lexington County Animal Control called a member of Dachshund Rescue of America who lived in nearby Columbia, South Carolina. This dedicated member gathered up Heidi and took her to a veterinarian for an examination. The vet said that surgery would not cure Heidi’s affliction and she should be euthanized because of the lack of a “quality of life” in her future. It is the policy of this particular Dachshund Rescue group that before a dachshund under guardianship of a member can be euthanized, it must be voted on by the President of the organization and the Board of Directors. After the President had a conversation with the vet, it was decided euthanasia was not necessary. Heidi remained in this member’s house even though Heidi would move around dragging her hind quarters. As you might suspect, Heidi did not have control of her bodily functions so the member fitted her with children’s number 3 diapers and cut a hole in it which allowed her tail to stick out. I met Heidi and on my first encounter it was obvious to me that she did not know she was handicapped. She ran around playing with the other dogs and responded to any actions by the people there. In fact, there was an obvious touch of vinegar in this girl's attitude. She was advertised for adoption on the Dachshund Rescue website which is www.DRNA.org. Later on a lady from Canada admired Heidi’s obvious spirit and will to survive and adopted her. Through a series of transfers from one member to another, Heidi made her way to Canada and the ownership of this lady of faith. This fine person fitted Heidi with a small carriage with wheels that lifted Heidi’s hind quarters off the ground and allowed her much more mobility. The lady from Canada reported that when she took Heidi to a dog park Heidi thought she was in command by running around and trying to herd up the other dogs. Heidi became a Canadian celebrity from her sheer courage and spirit. She eventually became a mascot that is taken from facility to facility that cared for crippled people and homes for the elderly to show that life is not over when a wheelchair is required. She is loved by all who has met her. Her “wheelchair” has a checkered race flag and the word Heidi painted on it. She is an inspiration for us all. I am glad I got to meet her. By the way, the rescuer and guardian was my daughter Mardy, in whom I am well pleased as I am of all of my children.

                 This Date in History September 4

1971 The Lawrence Welk Show went off the air much to the chagrin of almost every gray panther in the free world. However, the show stayed in syndication until 1982. I never understood the garish costumes that those folks wore from lime green to fire engine red and lapels that went to the tips of the shoulders when it was suppose to be an ultra-conservative outfit that was just and only interested in one dance number after another. But he and the band were very successful so I guess he knew what he was doing.

1972 God smiled on us all when the final episode of Gilligan’s Island aired on this date. This show was the epitome of trash and further reassures us that those FCC commissioner Newton Minnow’s words that TV was a “vast wasteland” had merit. But in the present sense, nothing has really changed with all these “reality” shows. They are nothing but a play on the familiar theme of Gilligan’s Island. Yet more trash.

1969 Radio Hanoi announces the death of Ho Chi Minh and declared a 3 day moratorium on military operations in honor of his memory. The American military believed that with the death of Ho the North Vietnamese would lose heart and begin a withdrawal of military activities. They were wrong. If anything the North Vietnamese resolve was strengthened and they fought the most powerful military force the world has ever seen to a standstill. It is all in the mind, y'all.

1967 The 1^st Marine Division engaged a sizable North Vietnamese army in I Corp for 4 days and nights. The 5^th Marine Regiment suffered the most casualties with 114 against the NVA count of 376. Speaking of the 1^st Marine Division, I remember seeing a film about the 1^st Marines being relieved after 45 days of combat on Okinawa and a news photographer asking one of the Marines coming out where he could find the 1^st Marine Division. The Marine answered, “Mister, there ain’t no more 1^st Marines.” Speaks volumes doesn’t it?

1864 CSA Gen. John Hunt Morgan is killed near Greeneville, Tenn. Morgan is recognized as one of the finest cavalry officers in American history He was a brilliant tactician and organizer. Morgan was born in Ala. But had moved to Ky. When he found out that Ky. was not going to secede he moved back to Ala. Morgan had planned an attack on Knoxville, Tennessee but his plans were discovered the US attacked his camp first. Morgan was killed trying to rally his men.

1957 Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus called out the National Guard to prevent 9 black kids from entering Little Rock’s Central High School. This unbelievably stupid act endeared him to the extreme redneck elements both North and South. President Eisenhower called bullshit on that and called in the long suffering 82^nd Airborne and the kids were finally allowed in school. I suppose ya’ll can imagine the shit those kids caught during their years at Central High School.

1945 The day after the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese commander of Wake Island surrenders to the American Navy. The Japanese had captured Wake Island early in the war and had captured 95 Americans in the process. The Japanese commander decided that he could not feed these 95 prisoners and had them executed. In 1947 the commander was tried for war crimes and convicted. He went to meet his maker wearing a hemp necktie.

1886 The Apache chief Geronimo surrendered after 30 years of trying to keep the honkies off his people’s lands. THIRTY YEARS, y'all. Geronimo got hostile when at a young age his wife and children were killed by Mexican soldiers and his hostility never left him. After he surrendered he was jailed for a few years but was finally released and treated as a celebrity. He even was in a presidential inauguration parade. Honkies are strange critters.

Born today:

1908 US writer Richard Wright. He said “Every artist must bow to the monster of their own imagination.”

1918 US Journalist Paul Harvey. He said “In times like these it is good to remember there have always been times like these”. And now you have the ressssttt of the story.

1776 French writer Francois Chateaubriand. He said “One is not superior just because one sees the world as odious.” There are a lot of people that do, Francois.

1965 US explorer Rebecca Kerewsky. When speaking of trying to mow damp grass she said “I fought the lawn and the lawn won.” As us condo dwellers say if the lawn is to be defeated it will have to be Juan and Miguel to do it. I think y'all know what I mean.

Died today:

1965 Scientist/philosopher Albert Schweitzer. He said “The deeper we look into nature the more we recognize how full of life it is, and the more profoundly we realize that life is a secret that we are all part of.” I know a person in Black Mountain, NC that has these thoughts.

1974 French writer Michel Achard. He said “Women like quiet men. They think they are listening.” It is a learned skill, Michel.

1997 English writer Jeffrey Bernard. He said “People say you are breaking my heart,” usually mean in fact that “You are breaking my genitals.” Ah yes, I remember it well.

2006 Australian naturalist Steve Irwin. He said “If some thing ever happens to me people will say ‘Well a croc finally got him.” It wasn’t a croc, it was a sting ray that buried its barb into Steve’s chest.

         Thanks for listening    I can hardly wait until tomorrow