"That glistening pinkness beckons me with gristle, fat, and BHT. Oh SPAM, my SPAM - the taste, the smell! The sacred meat product, from Hormel." (copied)

****Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the passing of my brother Donald Abbott. We pause today to remember him, his service to our country as a U.S. Marine, and his family including our mom, sisters, and his children and grandchildren.****


Hello friends, family, countrymen, and everyone else. I do wish you well on this Tuesday, June 18, 2013. I utilize four different personal emails each day. One is associated with the Company I work for. One is used for my Santa enterprise. I have another one that I use for most all of the ordering I do, communications between service providers, and miscellaneous stuff. Then, I have my regular personal email that I use to send out my blog and to send and receive communication with friends, family, Church family, and the like. That's a whole lot of targets for unsolicited emails, or SPAM, as it is called. The story of why it is called SPAM is only connected to the canned meat in an indirect way. It supposedly has something to do with a Monty Python routine where a couple are at a restaurant trying to order but everything on the menu, everything, has the canned meat Spam as a main ingredient. Thus, the repetitive nature of Spam on the menu somehow got connected to repetitive unsolicited emails. Supposedly. At any rate, we all have to deal with these emails showing up. There are laws that attempt to regulate this nuisance but they are hardly worth mentioning. Some days are worse than others. But, here's one for you. I came in the other morning and there was no SPAM to be found. I wasn't unhappy. Just puzzled. I know those spammers do not take holidays but what a surprise. Maybe their SPAM generating utility called in sick or something. A SPAM free day! I could get used to that. How about you?

Many of you know that I read obituaries. I scan maybe 50 on a typical day. In reading them, a common thing that strikes me as both refreshing and encouraging is the sheer amount of volunteerism and commitment to causes demonstrated in the lives of folks who were our fellow citizens. So many have given so much through their Churches or in helping humanitarian causes. Some have worked tirelessly to relieve suffering here and abroad. Many have given their time and resources in supporting educational institutions. Others have left and designated their financial means to continue supporting others after their death. Impressive. It might be a soup kitchen, or an evangelistic mission effort, support for the homeless, and the list could go on and on and on. There is a world index of countries that rank each one based on a number of factors to establish their giving quotient. The United States is near the top. I find it interesting that out of the 153 countries listed, those in the top quarter are all freedom loving developed nations. What does this tell us? That when people are free to manage and do good things with their own personal resources, others will be helped. It's a fact Jack and I am thankful that's the way it works. Amen.

I may finally be beginning to show my age. Just too many people offering to help me. I do greatly appreciate people's thoughtfulness but it sometimes takes me by surprise and I am left to give that puzzled question, "Are you talking to me?" One lady recently stopped gathering the shopping carts and came over to my car. She asked if she could assist me in lifting the case of water into my trunk. Do what? Help me do what? Are you talking to me? I finally put it together. Oh I see. You want to help me. Thanks so much but I can handle it. I do appreciate you offering. Now, if you will go back to your little project, I'll finish mine. I am not ungrateful. I actually offer to help some folks that I perceive could use a little muscle. That's about all I have to offer but I do sometimes. It's a different matter when you become the targeted help-ee instead of the help-er. There's so much to look forward to as I stutter step my way through this last quarter. Let's just hope they don't help me to cross a street that I never intended to cross, or something like that. It is, however, good to know that someone cares enough to ask. And, I'll add my Amen to that.   ....More later.