This poem is too good to pass by...please read and enjoy.


The Quitter

When you're lost in the Wild, and you're scared as a child,

And Death looks you bang in the eye,

And you're sore as a boil, it's according to Hoyle

To cock your revolver and . . . die.

But the Code of a Man says: "Fight all you can,"

And self-dissolution is barred.

In hunger and woe, oh, it's easy to blow . . .

It's the hell-served-for-breakfast that's hard.

"You're sick of the game!" Well, now, that's a shame.

You're young and you're brave and you're bright.

"You've had a raw deal!" I know -- but don't squeal,

Buck up, do your damnedest, and fight.

It's the plugging away that will win you the day,

So don't be a piker, old pard!

Just draw on your grit; it's so easy to quit:

It's the keeping-your-chin-up that's hard.

It's easy to cry that you're beaten -- and die;

It's easy to crawfish and crawl;

But to fight and to fight when hope's out of sight --

Why, that's the best game of them all!

And though you come out of each gruelling bout,

All broken and beaten and scarred,

Just have one more try -- it's dead easy to die,

It's the keeping-on-living that's hard.


--- Robert Service

Little turkey.

The Twerp has now turned two....

...And doesn't she act like it. I didn't expect the change to happen quite so fast, but it has. One day we have a nice little one year old and the next she hits two and turns terrible. Yes, the terrible two's have come.

Miss Esther, on Wednesday morning, her birthday:

Sitting up on my bed playing with several ponies, she is kept up in our girls room because mom and younger siblings are wrapping up a few gifts downstairs. I come up and take the other half of the bed and attempt to study a school book.

Esther talking to ponies:

"argh argh argh" ...Ponies are galloping around

"drink..drink, drink some coffee" ponies is tipped and is obviously drinking off the blanket the refreshing coffee.

I couldn't keep back laughing when she said "drink coffee" so I corrected her and told her horses drink water, but she didn't mind me.

Next she rearranges blanket, smoothes down and fixes the pillow behind her. Ponies are not in the right spot either, each must be carefully moved to her right side instead of on top of her. After a couple more minutes of playing she repeats the careful art of moving them to the spot that is "just right".

Next: Esther is a ghost disguised with a blanket draped over her...She attempts to walk on the bed but ends up tripping on edge of blanket and falling down.
Now, all the ponies are to be put under the blanket. Note: very carefully.

Ponies are forgotten as Esther realizes that I make and excellent source for climbing. After I got her off she still can't seem to resist disturbing me.

Soon she is a monster. She stands up on the bed puts her arms up and hands out. "Argggh...Argggggh". (if you've ever read "where the wild things are" that is exactly what she looked like).

"Don't jump on my bed" I warned. She looked at me took the risk and hopped up and down. Rachel was on her bed studying and we looked at each other and couldn't help laughing (despite how bad it was)...The monster scenes ends with a swat.

Whew, mom and kids are finally finished down stairs and the "monster" can go.

And as far as scenes with terrible two year olds....She started out her birthday by attempting to throw a temper tantrum.

The witness ~Lydia