A Storm With Silver Linings

            Friday our part of the world was hit by a great big, huge enormous storm. We were expecting a thunder storm, but nothing like the one we got. We were winding down at the end of a very hot day – the temperature hit 104 degrees Friday (about 40 degrees Celsius for friends down under) – when suddenly the biggest thunder storm in my memory blew through. Trees and power poles broke like tooth picks in its fury. Electricity went out across several states.

             We went to bed hoping the power would be on by morning, but that was just wishful thinking. It is weird how we you forget how much we rely on electricity. My first problem was that in my all-electric kitchen I had no way to make coffee. I am not nice without my morning coffee. We set off for the local coffee shop to get a fix for my habit. None of the traffic signals were working, so driving was a little tricky, but most drivers were thoughtful and we all just took turns through the intersections. We were delighted to see the shopping center had power and pulled up to the coffee shop to find a line stretching down to the corner. It would take an hour to wait in that line, so we thought we would just go to McDonalds and get coffee. As we drove around town we realized that the reason for the long line was that there was nowhere else with power and nowhere else to get coffee. We waited in line.

            My coffee need taken care of we tried to figure out what to do with the day.  It was too hot to do more than a quick cleanup of our yard before we began to long for air-conditioning. We discovered that our granddaughter had power and we were welcome to crash with her.  It is strange to realize that we are old enough to have a grown-up grandchild who can shelter us from the storm. We stayed at her house until bedtime. It was a wonderful afternoon of family fun as more of the family gathered in the coolness of her house. We watched movies, played on the internet, and enjoyed an unplanned day of togetherness. Some of the family stayed there for the night but we headed home to sleep in our hot, hot house.

            Sunday we gathered at church. The electrical power had been restored to the church building. After services several of us who were still powerless gathered there and enjoyed a respite from the heat and some time to visit with friends we don’t have a chance to see often. In the late afternoon we came home to our very hot house and emptied the refrigerator. I was grateful that I had not been to store recently since everything had to be thrown away. As darkness fell we went to the shopping center, usually a pretty quiet place on Sunday evening. All of the stores and restaurants were packed with people seeking refuge from their hot, dark houses. One of my granddaughters works in a shoe store. She said it was busy all day with people trying on, but not buying shoes. We eventually came home and tried to sleep, but it was just too hot.

            Early Monday morning we heard a loud bang and then the wonderful sight of lights coming on the wonderful hum of the air-conditioner. It was a happy moment. I made coffee, smiled, and thanked the Lord for family and friends and electricity.

            My still powerless daughter and granddaughter came to share our electricity. My fourteen year old granddaughter and I sat at the kitchen table and colored together like we did when she was little. It was fun to visit and laugh with this beautiful girl of mine who is no longer a little girl. They headed home in the evening when their power was restored. A still powerless friend came over to do a load of laundry. We had a lovely visit. My still powerless older daughter and son-in-law spent the night. They just couldn’t take one more sleepless night in their much too hot house.

            There are still thousands without power. I am thankful for the many utility crews working hard to restore the power. I will try to be more appreciative of the many comforts and blessings that come with the wonder of electricity.

51

Last year our family hosted an amazing, wonderful party to celebrate our golden wedding anniversary. We are still glowing from the love showered on us that day. This year we celebrated 51 years together and the family gave us a card and wished us happy anniversary. Fifty-one is just another anniversary, not a big party year. But fifty-one years is a reason to celebrate that we are still here, still healthy, and still in love. In honor of the day we took a holiday trip.

I've always wanted to see Falling Water, the home in the mountains of Pennsylvania designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. So we made a trip to the beautiful Laurel Highlands to visit the house. It truly is an amazing place. I would love to live in that house. It is not nearly as big as I had expected, no bigger than many suburban homes. It sits over a waterfall and blends beautifully into the woods that surround it. I believe I could sit in the great room or on one of terraces forever and just bask in the serenity and the beauty surrounding the house.

For a change of pace we visited Fort Necessity. As my daughter said, “What could say I love you better than a visit to a battle field?” Fort Necessity is the site of a battle lost by 21 year old George Washington. It was the first battle of the French-Indian war. That is a part of history I knew almost nothing about. The reenactors were very entertaining and very interesting. 

 

In the evening we sat on the big porch of our hotel and watched a beautiful sunset. We feel quite blessed to be able to celebrate fifty-one years together.

Fiddler On The Roof

This week-end we went to see a production of Fiddler On The Roof at our local community theater. Great story with wonderful music. Anyone who has raised children and watched them grow up and leave home for lives of their own will identify with Tevye's struggles as his daughters make decisions that cause him to reconsider his faith and traditions. There are funny scenes that makes me laugh, “Would it spoil some grand, fantastic plan if I were a wealthy man?” There are sweet scenes that are so very true, “Sunrise, sunset.”

 Two scenes always make me cry. The second daughter is in love with a dissident who has been sent to Siberia. As she is boarding the train to join him she says says to her father, “God only know when we shall see see each other again!” Tevye replies, “We shall leave it in His hands then.” Have you ever watched your child leave home, not knowing when or if you would see him again?

The scene that is almost too painful to watch comes when his third daughter runs away and marries a man of another faith. This is more than Tevye can bear. He is torn between love for his child and the faith and traditions that hold his life together. Tradition wins and he rejects his daughter. He turns away and leaves her in tears. He says she is dead to him. This scene is heart-wrenching. I cannot imagine anything that would cause me to reject my child. I would be hurt, but I don't think there is a force strong enough to turn away from one of my children. 

 

I came out of the theater singing, “Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset, I don't remember growing older, When did they?”

My children have long ago grown-up and left the home of their childhood, but in my heart they will always be my precious little children.

Transit of Venus

When my husband the astronomer was twelve years old he put two dates on his calender, June 8, 2004 and June 5, 2012. He has mentioned these dates and their importance to me often over the last fifty plus years. These were the dates of the two times in his lifetime that he might be able to see the transit of Venus across sun. This rare astronomical event last happened in 1874 and 1882. It will next happen in 2117 and 2125. In 2004 the day was clear and he was able to see this great wonder. With welding glasses to shield his eyes, he watched the great event from our back yard. He was awe struck.

Tuesday was the day, the last time in his life that he would be able to watch this wondrous event. The transit was scheduled to begin in our area about six in the evening and be visible until sunset. The welding glasses were waiting so he could look at the sun. His schedule had been cleared for this event for sixty-two years. In the late afternoon thick clouds rolled in, obscuring the sun. The transit would happen without him being able to see it this time. Fortunately modern technology made his disappointment much smaller. He has his computer connected to a telescope in New Mexico that had a clear view of everything. He sat in front of his computer for more than three hours watching as the small dark dot that was Venus slowly moved across the face of the sun. He took pictures and made a time lapse video of it all. It really is fascinating to watch as he condensed the three hour event into one minute of viewing time. You can even see telephone wires appear across the the screen as the sun sets and Venus moves out of view.

For my husband the heavens really do declare the glory of God.

Where Did May Go?

It's June. Where did May go? The whole month just seems to have flown by without me noticing. I know things happened in May. Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of things that went on in my life in the merry month of May.

1. I turned 71. According to the Good Book the span of life is three score and ten. After that it's all grace. So last year was just living on grace.
   
   
2. I read some books: “Light On Snow,” by Anita Shreve, a sweet story about love, loss, and hope.”Nothing Daunted” by Dorthy Wickenden, the true tale of two high society girls who take a job teaching in a one room school in the mountains of Colorado in 1916 -a good read. “Christianity After Religion” by Diana Butler Bass, a study of sociological trends in American Christianity. Some interesting observations, but way too many words.
   
   
3. I went to eleven water aerobics classes and eight yoga classes.
   
   
4. Mother's Day lunch was eaten at my granddaughter's house. A new generation is taking over.
   
   
5. I rang bells in the bell choir and made beautiful music.
   
   
6. The Senior Chorale put on a great concert. I love singing in that group.
   
   
7. I planted red geraniums in the back yard and white petunias in the front yard.
   
   
8. For the first time in my life I saw the “ring of fire” during a lunar eclipse.
   
   
9. I listened to a friend who is going through one of life's rough spots.
   
   
10. I learned how to make playlists on my new I-pod.
    
    
11. I went out to lunch with friends several times.
    
    
12. I paid the bills and balanced the checkbook.
    
    
13. I was asked to serve as a deacon in our congregation. I start this month.
    
    
14. My tooth broke in half. The dentist fixed it.
    
    
15. I sat on my front porch rocker and counted my blessings. I like being retired.

Memorial Day

I really do like Memorial Day. I love all the flag waving. I love the parades. I love the picnics. I love the concerts full of music that makes me proud to be an American. The ugly politics we usually hear has been replaced by words of gratitude and patriotism. I truly am grateful for this great country of ours. God bless America!

I have a small flag hanging in my window with two stars shining brightly, one for each of my family who are currently serving in our military. One star is for my grandson, the airman. 

The other star is for my son the soldier, who is safely home after four tours in Iraq.

Senior Chorale

There are lots of problems with growing old. Teeth fall out. Aches and pains become a normal part of life. Old friends are lost. Fortunately, God, in His great wisdom, also gives us many joys to help this part of life become a time rich in blessings too.

 For me one of the best things about getting older is being a part of the Bowie Senior Chorale. Once a week for the past eight years I've gone to the senior center to spend two hours learning to sing and learning to live. The time we spend together is one of the highlights of my week. This group of 100 people have learned to make beautiful music. Half the group can't read music and most have no formal training, but our lively young director, Craig, inspires us and teaches us and makes sing far beyond our expectations. Our inner divas shine through our wrinkled, well worn bodies and for a little while we feel young again.

 Last night we sang a rousing program full of songs about America to a sold out house. I believe our audience left happy and proud to part of this great country of ours.

The Dentist

“Wow! That's really big. It's enormous.” These words did not bring me any comfort as the dentist checked my mouth to inspect the tooth that had broken last week. He told me the entire front half of the tooth had broken off, and the back half was a filling he had put there five years ago. He wasn't sure if he could save it. I like my dentist. We've become friends over the forty years that he has taken care of my teeth. He is a kind and gentle man. I try to be a good patient, but I really am a wimp. I hate sitting in the dentist's chair. “Open wide,” he said and he went to work. First there were needles. Lots of needles. I don't get numb easily. Then there was the the little jack hammer drilling away the part he didn't like, along with the the suction machine, the blow gun, an erector set and the little sunlamp. I didn't know my mouth could open that far. He poked and punched and prodded around in my mouth for almost two hours. Finally he was done. I still have my tooth, but if it breaks again it will have to come out. Teeth wear out over time. I had done everything right and the tooth still broke. This getting old stuff has a lot of disadvantages.

Mother & Grandmother

These four children of mine fill me with love, joy and pride. I am indeed blessed

We had Mother's Day lunch at our granddaughter's house. I don't remember growing older. When did she become such a grown-up?

Nurse's Week

This is national nurse's week. To celebrate I thought I’d share one of favorite nurse stories. Thirty years ago I worked in a big inner-city hospital. It was hard work, but usually I enjoyed the job and loved taking care of those in my care. One day I was assigned to care for Agnes. Agnes was an elderly lady who had suffered a stroke. She was not able to do much for herself. I had spent a good deal of time with her that morning. I had fed her breakfast, helped her brush her teeth, given her a bath and even a back rub. I got her up in a chair and fixed her hair up with ribbons. She seemed grateful. I have a habit of singing while I do chores, and as I was changing her sheets I was singing a song without even being aware that I was singing. Agnes sat and listened for a while. Finally she said, “Honey,when you were young, I bet you could sing.” Do you know any good good nurse stories?

Lunch Conversation

My astronomer husband and I have been married for more than fifty years. We really have almost nothing in common - except for the many years of living together, the five kids, the ten grandkids, and the fact that he is just so cute. Recently he joined the SLOOH Space Camera site. He spends many hours viewing the sky and observing the stars and planets. He is enthralled by all he is able to see. His conversation is now dominated by his observation of the sky using this telescope. Our lunch conversation today sounded sort of like this:

D - “When you plot the same right ascension and declination you see a different part of the sky each time you look.” S- “This is a big salad. I'll give you some.” D – “I am about to complete photographing Pluto's movement.” S –“ I still think Pluto is a planet.” D – “It's only a plutiod - only 14th magnitude brightness.” S - “This is a good sandwich.” D – “The sun is 10 to the 16th times brighter than Pluto.” S -”I think I'll have ice cream for dessert.” D - “Me too.”

Communion

One of the things I get to do at church is prepare the communion for our Sunday morning services. This has never been a chore for me. It has always felt like a privilege. I have so many memories that surround communion. Usually the church is quiet while I get things ready and it becomes a time a peaceful meditation for me. The scriptures say that we are to remember Jesus as we gather around the communion table. I do think about Jesus, but I also feel surrounded by all the people who have shown me Jesus over the years.

In our tradition we pass trays filled with small cups of grape juice along the pews. Each person takes one of the small cups and drinks the juice as we reflect on it's meaning.

I grew up in a family where church was very much part of our everyday life. One of my earliest memories is standing on a chair in the church kitchen helping my mom put the little glass cups into the trays. As I got a bit older I was allowed to fill a bulb syringe with juice and squirt it into the little cups. My mom made this chore seem like a great privilege that only big girls were allowed to do. I'm a big girl now, Mom. I am allowed to fill the little cups all by myself.

Just as funny things happen around the dinner table at home, lots of funny things have happened over the years around the communion table. I think God must have a wonderful sense of humor, and God must laugh with us at our funny mishaps.

One week we prepared the trays on Saturday afternoon and put them into the refrigerator until time for services the next morning. Somehow the refrigerator got set to very, very cold. The juice in the little cups froze solid. We did not notice this until the trays were being passed along the pews and people tried to drink. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It is impossible to drink an ice cube. People tried licking the frozen juice. People tried turning the cups in their hands to thaw them. Some people banged the little cups on the pews or their legs. Everyone got the giggles.

Scripture refers to the fruit of vine as part of the communion. This inspired one minister to substitute grapes for the juice. Instead of trays of juice, plates of grapes were passed along the pews. This felt a bit odd, but it became very funny when we realized that these were not seedless grapes. Just what is the polite thing to do with grape seeds in church?

One Sunday one of the teen-aged boys helping to serve communion was coming back down the steps from the pulpit area when he tripped. The tray flew out of his hands, spilling juice all over him, the floor and everyone sitting on the front row. There was a great deal of jumping up and scurrying around in an effort to clean up the mess. Poor Chris just sat there and said, “Uh-oh.” For years afterward the people getting ready to serve would pray not to pull a Chris.

One of my dear friends would frequently look at me with a sparkle in her eye as we took the cup. We would clink our little cups together and whisper,”Cheers.” For us it was a happy little celebration of being together in God's family. I miss you Julie.

Next time you gather around the communion table, remember that you are part of the family of God. Remember Jesus, and remember all the people who have helped you to celebrate the joy of being a Christian.

Do you have any good stories about communion?

Come to the table.

If I Were A Supreme Court Justice

Obviously I am not a Supreme Court justice. I am not a lawyer nor an expert on the law, but if it were my decision I would support the Affordable Care Act that was approved by congress and signed into law two years ago. Everything I read about this law seems like a good idea to me.

Medical care is too expensive. We spend far too much individually and as a nation for health care. In 2009 the nation spent $2.6 trillion on health care, that is 17.9% of the U.S. Economy. Something needs to be done about this problem soon. The Affordable Care Act is a step in that direction. Decreasing the cost of health care will be a complicated process, but steps in that direction have begun with this law, and that is good.

The big question before the court is the issue of forcing everyone to buy health insurance, the individual mandate. The vast majority of people already have health insurance. Those people without health insurance receive little if any routine, preventative care. They still receive health care, but it is usually administered in emergency rooms and paid for by higher premiums on those with insurance and by taxpayer dollars. People without health insurance make health care more expensive for the rest of us. Mitt Romney editorialized in 2009 that imposing a tax penalty on those who choose to remain uninsured encourages health care free-riders to take responsibility on themselves instead of passing the costs of their health care on to others.

The way I understand the law, those who choose not to buy health insurance will be required to pay a modest fine that could never exceed 2% of their annual income. This would be a “shared responsibility” payment. The fine is meant to be a financial incentive to find health insurance that would be more affordable. No one would become a law-breaker by refusing to buy health insurance.

If we are supposed to call social welfare programs after the president that signed them into law, then I support Roosevelt Security, Johnsoncare, and Obamacare. None of these programs are the perfect answer to the problems they address. They all could use a bit of tweaking to make them better. They are all good programs.

All of these are laws in our country. I believe all of them should be upheld by our justice system.

Philadelphia

We have just returned from a two day trip to Philadelphia where we managed to cross three more items off our bucket lists.

On our way into town we stopped in South Philly to enjoy an original Philly cheese-steak sandwich at Pat's King of Steaks. According to the advertising this is the place where the cheese-steak was invented. The sandwich was every bit as yummy and messy as I expected it to be. South Philly, with it's narrow streets and crowded houses, looked just like I expected it to look. There were two problems with lunch at Pat's. It was a cold day, and sitting at the outdoor picnic tables was a bit too chilly. After riding up the road for two hours I was in need of a restroom. Pat's has no public restrooms. We enjoyed our quick lunch, crossed another item off the list and headed on to our next destination.



Visiting the Franklin Institute has long been on Dennis's bucket list. He was like a little boy in a candy store at this hands-on science museum. It was great fun to watch him pulling levers, twisting knobs, and pushing buttons. He grinned his way through one science demonstration after another. Nothing makes him happier than seeing how things work. He left happily at closing-time and checked one more item off his bucket list.



The next morning we headed to the convention center to enjoy the Philadelphia Flower Show. I've been wanting to do this for many years. It is said to be one of the biggest and the best flower shows in the country. The show was fabulous. There were displays that were huge with waterfalls, volcanoes and magnificent orchids. There were beautiful miniature displays only a few inches tall. There was an emotional and patriotic display featuring the USS Arizona Memorial. There were stalls selling everything to do with gardening There was also one the biggest crowds I have ever seen. It was hard to move. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but I’m glad I went. One more item checked off the list.

What's left on your bucket list?

Senior Citizen Adventures

We celebrated Leap Day today with a group of friends at a local dinner theater where we saw a wonderful production of The King and I. We had such fun and came out of the theater singing, “Shall We Dance.”

This Wednesday matinee showing had an audience of senior citizens. There were buses from several assisted living homes and various groups of senior citizen clubs. Many people were in wheelchairs and walkers lined the wall. It is hard to realize that these old folks are my contemporaries. I looked around and saw a group of folks who move a little slower, but who are still moving. The conversation was lively. The laughter was abundant.

I had a great time. Getting old is not so bad. Life is still full of wonderful moments. Perhaps the best really is yet to be.

My Life in Five Pictures

1941

My mom's name was Byrtle. She has always been my hero. I love this picture of her holding me. I can see the love shining in her eyes. She and Dad gave my brothers and me a childhood filled with love, faith and family. I love knowing that I am Byrtle's girl.

1961

This picture was taken the day of my graduation from nursing school and the day before my wedding. I was ready to embark on my new nursing career with the man I loved beside me. I don't think the picture shows how very happy I was that day.

1969

Here we are on Easter morning. My four children were 5 years, 4 years, 18 months, and 2 weeks old. They were all healthy. I was very busy, very happy, and very tired.

1996

This picture was taken right after the birth of our sixth grandchild. It was a moment of great joy. Two months after this picture the sweet boy in my husband's lap was taken from us. I didn't know it was possible to hurt so much. My faith was shaken. More grandchildren came and brought us great happiness, but there will always be a painful void in our life where Jared belongs.

2011

We have grown old. We are both retired. Our children are grown. Our grandchildren are quickly becoming adults. We are moving a little slower, but we are still together and looking forward to whatever life may send us, trusting that the God we love will walk the journey with us.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Instead of giving up chocolate or some other food, I have decided to very consciously try to find a way to demonstrate God's love to the people in my world. Maybe I will be able to continue this for more than 40 days.

These verses from I John chapter 4 are my inspiration. These verses are the basis of my theology.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

We love because he first loved us.

Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Ordinary Days

It has been a couple of weeks since last I wrote something for this blog. Some days it is hard to think of something worth writing down. My days are happy and full, but they seem so ordinary. I know that each day, each moment, is a special gift that is even better when I notice the beauty of the moment and stop to savor it. Here are a couple of the moments I savored over the past few days.

Yesterday was a beautiful, warm sunny day. It did not feel like the middle of February. I worked in the back yard for a few hours. I trimmed back my butterfly bushes and felt the sun warm my back and enjoyed the memory of seeing these bushes covered in flowers and butterflies last summer, and felt the promise of the flowers that will bloom again and attract a whole new generation of butterflies. God did make us a very beautiful world.

My sixteen-year-old grandson stopped by for a few minutes Friday with a grin a mile wide across his face. He had just passed his driving test and is now an officially licensed driver. There is nothing grander than being sixteen and having your first driver's license. What a joy to share his joy.

Each morning I wake up in a warm house next to the man who has shared my life for more than fifty years. I thank God daily that this good man loves me, and God has given us another day together.

Were there any moments that you stopped to savor recently?

Boats & Birds

Yesterday we had a delightful day with friends. It was the last day of January, the middle of winter, and the temperature rose into the 60s. It was a day to savor the beautiful weather.

Our friends have scheduled a trip next year on the still to be completed Mississippi Queen. It is being built in the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, MD. Yesterday we joined them on an excursion to the Eastern Shore to see this boat under construction. If you have never toured a shipbuilding yard you have missed a fascinating experience. We donned our hard hats and followed Tony, the construction foreman, for a tour of the boat.

We learned about insulation and wires and potable water. The number of details that go into building a large passenger boat are overwhelming, and far more interesting than I expected.

There was dust, noise, wires, and timber everywhere. Construction workers were busy on every level. From the back deck we could see The Glory, the boat we are scheduled to cruise on in 2013.

It really was a fascinating, tour.

After lunch we went to the Ward Wildfowl Art Museum. This place is dedicated to wood carvings of birds, mostly duck decoys. I was totally blown away by the beautiful sculptures we saw. They were breathtaking. These hand-carved wooden sculptures looked so lifelike, just like birds in flight. If you have opportunity you really should stop and see this place. I loved it!

I love enjoying unusual special days with friends.

Republican Bus

Did you ever play that game about who you would rather sit by on a cross-country bus trip? Someone gives you two names and asks which one you would choose to sit by on a cross county bus trip and you have to explain why. Who would you choose, Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren? George Washington or Abraham Lincoln?

I decided to take an imaginary cross-country bus trip with the Republican presidential hopefuls. How would I, a moderate Democrat, fare with this group of people? In my imagination I got on the bus in Iowa just as Tim Pawlenty was getting off. He seemed like a friendly fellow, but I didn't have time to get acquainted with him. I looked around and decided to sit with the only woman on the bus.

Michelle Bachmann seemed like a nice Christian lady. We showed each pictures of our kids and told each other funny family stories. I told her about my faith in a loving and gracious God. Her faith came across as far more judgmental than mine and has a lot more rules. She seemed to be very uncomfortable with my interpretation of scripture and very uncomfortable with diverse opinions. I was relieved when she got off the bus. I thought she was scary.

Next I sat next to a man with a big, friendly smile. Herman Cain made a fortune selling pizza and thought he could use this experience to make America a better country. He kept saying something about 9-9-9. He thought his tax scheme would fix the economy. It seemed to over-simplify a complex problem and I had my doubts. When I asked him about foreign policy his answer got really weird. It turns out Herman had a mistress and the Republicans are the party of family-values. The mistress was a big no-no, so Herman had to get off the bus.

There was a nice man from Utah who rode the bus for awhile. Jon Huntsman seemed like a nice guy . He had worked for Obama as ambassador to China. I admired the way he put serving his country ahead of political ideology. The Republicans didn't seem to like him very well. He too got off the bus.

A good-old-boy from Texas was my next seat-mate. Rick Perry liked to hunt and fish. I don't hunt or fish and I found it hard to talk to him. He just never seemed to quite figure out what to do with himself outside of Texas. He got off the bus and headed back home.

I looked around and decided to sit with the older gentleman from Texas. I really liked Ron Paul, but his fellow passengers don't pay him very much attention. He comes across as an honest, sincere man who champions the cause of small government and withdrawal from all foreign entanglements. I find myself disagreeing with his proposals, but respecting him as a man of honor. I don't want him to drive the bus, but I do like him.

Rick Santorum was my next seat-mate. He reminded me a lot of Michelle Bachmann. He is driven by faith. I'm sure he is a loving husband and father. I think he is sincere. Sincerity just doesn't seem to be enough to qualify a person to president. Especially not when I disagree about many of the things that he holds dear. I think he will be getting off the bus in the near future.

I look at the last two men on the bus and decide to sit by Mitt Romney. This man has money. I think he probably paid for the bus. He seems a bit stiff, but still likable. He has a nice wife and has raised five sons. I find it is easier to talk to him as I get to know him better. He was once the Republican governor of a Democratic state. Somehow he seemed to be able to talk to people with different opinions and find a consensus they could both agree on. That is a rare talent. He really wants to be president. He has made this bus trip before. I'm not really sure where he stands on several issues because he seems to have changed his mind about lots of things. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Did I mention that Mitt has a lot of money.

There’s one man left on the bus. I approached his seat, but just couldn't make myself sit down. There was a stench that completely repelled me. Newt Gingrich is a man with a very bad history. Congress convicted him of ethics violations. He has been through two messy divorces. He owed Tiffany’s $500,000. Surely the party that stood for family values would find this man repellant. He comes across to me as a creepy, dirty old man.

It was an interesting bus ride, but I don't think I want to ride with this group any further.