Life is Like Juggling Hand Grenades: May 2011

Summer in Alaska is the greatest gift from God...there is nowhere else on earth that I would rather be than right here, especially when the sun is shining and the clouds are lacy and high above me. It makes me think of the poem by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. It goes like this:

HIGH FLIGHT
By John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of -- Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

When I was a child, this poem was something we heard every night at midnight when KTUU Channel 2 signed off the air. (And yes, once upon a time there was only 12 hours of programming broadcast every day!) It was recited by someone with a wonderful speaking voice...and was accompanied by a beautiful video of an Air Force jet streaking through the clouds. Brings back such memories...and a feeling of peace.

My son came to me late last week and mentioned that his classmate, Brianna Aspelund, had invited him to help her family place American flags and crosses (decorated with American Legion poppies) on the graves of each veteran in the Catholic section of Angelus Memorial Cemetery. So that is what we did this morning...it was an honor. When we finished and looked back at all those crosses and flags, it quite took my breath away.

Decided to ditch the Physical Geology class and am taking Prealgebra instead. I hope I'm not making a mistake...I think, however, that I'm much closer to graduation than I had originally thought. What's complicating things is my change of major. It adds about another year at least, so it looks like I may graduate in 2013 or 2014. Sooner would be nice, but what the heck, it's taken over 28 years to get to this point - so what's another two or three years?

I've been thinking a great deal recently about our veterans, past and present. Two of "my boys" are in Afghanistan or Iraq right now - one in the Army, one in the Marines. I'm very proud of them...and terrified at the same time.With Memorial Day coming up, this is the perfect time to pay tribute to our men and women in uniform all around the globe..thank you for your service, each and every one of you!