Virginia Is For Families

It is eight am and we are having an early morning thunderstorm. Usually these things drop by in the late afternoon after a day of oppressive humidity. And the air lately has been very dry and cold so I don’t quite understand what is happening.

My weatherman skills only take me so far.

And my dog Sparky doesn’t understand either. I built him a big doggy door on the porch so he can go outside and investigate any potential problems whenever he feels like it. You never know when you might be enjoying yourself somewhere in the world and a reader decides to drop in.  Sparky loves those moments.  But he has decided to come in this morning and take a nap about five feet from where I am sitting.

I won’t say he’s afraid of the thunder. He probably just wants to be close in case the thunder god decides to attack his beloved master.

I’m not sure you are that quick Sparky boy.

I read a story once about this guy who was inside talking on his telephone when lightening came in through the window and zapped him pretty good.

He has been able to see dead people ever since just like the little kid in The Sixth Sense.

Good for him I say. Let’s just hope he’s not interested in politics. We have enough of those guys voting already.

So I received a very nice comment sometime last night from Jordin’s grandmother Nana. At least I am pretty sure it was her grandmother. I remember Jordin thanking everybody the night she won AI and was standing on the stage raining tears. It was a wonderful moment. And she thanked her parents and “Nana and Poppy” I think. Maybe I have the Poppy part wrong. But I remember it because we called my grandmother “Nana” and we called my grandfather “Pop”. Probably Poppy would have been nicer but we all grew up in New England.

I would explain but somehow I don’t think it’s necessary since you all have heard a New Englander talk at one time or another. They get to the point very quickly. I never noticed how strange they can sound with their profound accents until I moved down here to Virginia.

After a few years it was clear to me that I had been abused by abrupt speech and hard accents as a child (as well as by older kids who liked to sit on my head).

In any case the sky is “Popping” and “Whamming” and “Keyrashing” out there this morning. And I did receive this comment. This must be a trying moment for them. It has been one success after another for Jordin in th past year. But isn’t this just what happens to all of us when we are going along and things are moving in our direction? Suddenly and seemingly for no reason the stars turn against us.

But they are such a strong family. They will run through it like Emmitt Smith used to run through a line of really big guys (who probably would have enjoyed sitting on his head).

My wife and I still would like to take them all out to dinner if they ever come to Virginia Beach.

Beth returned from the wedding last night in high spirits. I think she wants to get married again. Hopefully to the same person she married last time. But she is sleeping now and the dogs are sleeping nearby or under the bed.

All the flowers are blossoming and this rain will encourage more to come out. In between rumbles I can hear the fan turning and the wind outside. This is Virginia Breeze after all.

And all is well. We thank God this Sunday morning for keeping all our children safe. No doubt they are sleeping too wherever they are.

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