Our trees are heavy with ice from the Ice Storm yesterday and the night before. I think that it was the most freezing rain that I have witnessed falling in Little Egypt for many years. The interesting development is that our streets and walkways are by and large clear while the trees are a winter wonderland. We enjoyed a lovely birthday meal with our friends, Joan and Jim, this evening at Hunan’s Restaurant. Both Joan and MJ have birthdays occurring close together in February. The pleasure of joyful routines is to be savored like fine wine. We all enjoy holidaying in Maine and spend each visit talking about the wonders of our favorite state.

The Ice Harvest is one of my favorite, Dark, Christmas Movies. Although the movie is set during the Christmas Season…everything about it is cold from the iced-covered landscapes to the hurtful and duplicitous emotions of the characters in the film. I reflected on the cold and unfeeling manner that I have seen wonderful people at my beloved University, Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale, treated after they have worked for countless hours both unsung and unrecognized. I thought of how many who can spin a good yarn and sell ice cubes to Eskimoes…are lauded and lifted to the highest seat of career advancement…while others labor in the dark in the hold of the great ship…go unrecognized year in and year out. Certainly, our University has paid a price and is currently paying a horrible price for the abdication of its responsibility to its most valuable citizens. More times than I care to remember, when I was working as the manager/administrator of the Building Services department, I was told that this person or that person was trouble or that I did not want to hire them or associate with them…only to insist that I discover for myself my opinion of the maligned person’s value to the organization. More often than not my most powerful and skilled staff came from those who others sought to marginalize…

I tire and am weary of watching our and other nations’ government officials insist that they are foursquare behind the Ukrainians. Mothers are running for their and their small children’s lives. An old man of 80 years is signing up to fight the Russians. The President of Ukraine says…’ We are alone…’

God help us…when our turn comes…