The Truth About “A Mother’s Tale of Heartache”

.

“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”
.                                                        - Henry VI, Part II; Act 4, Scene 2

.
I would like to invite Charles Waterstreet, Australian barrister and author, to take a long walk off of a short pier.

Seriously, it’s lawyers like him who give the good ones a bad name. I am sick and tired of people like Mr. Waterstreet putting pathetic drivel in print, acting as if they are somehow morally superior to the rest of us.

What he posted yesterday – which he no doubt hoped would be perceived as a touching human interest story about a mother’s “plight” – did nothing more than anger me beyond words.  I am outraged that he had the audacity to imply that a wrong was committed on the part of the justice system based on the ethnic background of this woman’s sons.

For shame, sir.

The title of Mr. Waterstreet’s Op-Ed piece (no comments were allowed – more’s the pity) was “A Mother’s Tale of Heartache“, and it ran in Sunday’s Sydney Morning Herald.

On Mother’s Day.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I got brave last year, and made a photo book online for my Mom; thought I’d post it again this year, as things have been kinda crazy around here the last couple of weeks….

(Click on the picture to take you to the Shutterfly site, where you can view it for yourself.
Once there, click on “View Photo Book”, then “View Full Screen” – hope you enjoy it!)

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
I love you very much ♥♥♥
.

Putting the “Fun” Back in “Funeral”…..

.
Well, we’re back home.  I swear, my father-in-law is up in heaven laughing his ass off right now…..

The night before the funeral, our nephew, Andy, was in the Ballinger ER with a kidney stone – he was miserable (and medicated) the next morning, he had to miss the funeral.  We worked out how to get him home after everything – he lives about an hour east of us, so Rachel said that she could drive Andy’s car (and Andy) to his house.  Then one of us would meet her at his house and drive her back to our house.

Crisis averted.

Happy Memories

The classic film “Shenandoah” inspired my father-in-law’s “Grandpa” name

Way back in 1979, I had the honor of meeting a man who came to mean a lot to me over the next 34 years.  I had just started seeing a fella who very quickly asked me to spend the rest of his life with him (I said “Yes” before he could change his mind); not long after that, he took me home to introduce me to his parents.

And that’s when I met Charles Henry Koch.

Out of Pocket for a few days…..

Charlie and Paul Koch
Park Chalk Bluff, Uvalde Texas
June, 2009

Rest in peace, Charles Henry Koch.
December 13, 1927 – May 2, 2013

Thanks for being such a fantastic father-in-law.
You will be greatly missed.

.

For Jonathan – “To Where You Are”

..
On April 28, 2001, my best friend Becky got the phone call that no parent ever wants to get – her oldest son, Jonathan, had been killed in a car wreck.

The pain has eased somewhat, but it will always be there for her and for her family.  No parent should ever outlive their child – that is a pain that will never go away.

This is for Jonathan and all of those who loved him -
.

.

Paul’s Major A-ward

.
A couple of months ago, Paul found out that the team he works on had been chosen to receive an ”Aero Star” award – this is the highest award available at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Division, and it puts the team in the running for Lockheed Martin’s most prestigious corporate honor, the NOVA award.

Each year, several teams and individuals are given this division-level award.  It is quite an honor to be chosen to receive this, and I am justifiably proud of him.