In Remembrance Of My Father

My father, Edward Frank Manuel Sr., passed away this past September 11, 2014 after 91 years of a full and varied life. He grew up on a farm during the depression, served in the Civilian Conservation Corps and in the Army, put himself through college and became an accountant, and raised four children with my mother. He and I didn't always see eye-to-eye, but he taught me about as much as a father can teach. I don't believe I can actually write something that would honor him as touchingly as the following poem by my niece's daughter, his great-granddaughter.



The Great Man

I saw a great man once, walking all alone.
I asked where he was going and if I could come along.
He said, "I am going where you cannot follow;
Indeed, I am leaving, searching for tomorrow."
I asked him where tomorrow is and how we would get there.
He said, "I will walk, so long as I get there,
As for where it is, it's never really far,
It's always nearby, close to our hearts.
I hope that I find it, I really, truly do,
For when I find tomorrow, I'll be happy."
And then he turned and left, and
Never since then have I seen that great man, 
Searching for tomorrow.

We are gathered here to celebrate this great man
Who never again will have to go looking for tomorrow,
For he has found it, and now he is happy.

          Mikaela Curtis


Obituary - Edward Frank Manuel Sr.

Rest in peace, Dad.

Home Improvement?

So the house directly behind ours has been undergoing "renovation" now for more than a year. About the first thing they did in March 2013 was place this dumpster directly behind us, changing our view from one of trees and grass to this. It looks like this most of the time, since emptying a full dumpster is obviously extremely difficult and costly for a construction company. We've complained to the county, of course, but I am pretty sure that county government exists for the sake of real estate agents, developers, and construction companies, not for the people who unfortunately just live there. Anyway, since this is obviously now going to be a permanent part of our existence, we're thinking of naming it. Suggestions welcome.

Lucky Seven Game of Tag

I've been tagged in the Lucky Seven Game by the excellent and prolific writer Debbie McGowan.

How does it work?

• Go to page 7 or 77 in your current WIP.
• Go to line 7
• Post on your blog the next 7 sentences or 7 lines—as they are!
• Tag 7 people to do the same.  

My current WIP is a project called A Feast of Famine. Here are the lines from page 77.

“What is this threat to stop the food deliveries?”

“It’s not really a threat.  It’s a practicality.  We aren’t getting any food delivered to the interior.  What we bring ashore is being looted immediately.  That is unacceptable and must be stopped.  We’re not running this program to see criminals fed while the needy continue to starve.”

“You must bring more.  When there is plenty of food, the looting will stop, because the food will have no value.”

So far I'm tagging J.P. Lane and Phillip Thurlby.

Congratulations Susan!

Think dogs are hard to train? Try working with chickens!

Way to go, Susan!

Puck Wants to Know

What does "trespassing" mean?

So Now the EPA Has Me Wondering

Okay, so you remember the senior EPA adviser who had convinced all his colleagues he was really working as a secret operative for the CIA? Now it turns out there’s allegedly a “rogue national security unit” at the EPA, according to the Washington Post. Here’s the link.

Washington Post Article About EPA "Rogue" Unit

Hmmm. So maybe there’s more to the Richard Paladin series than escapist entertainment? Take a look and see what I mean.

Check Out Susan's New Web Page

Susan and Falco are very excited to have their own Web page linked to the Washington Humane Society, where Susan volunteers. Take a look!

http://www.helpmyadopteddog.com/SusanSanderson.html