Bfth's Boring Blog

  I always thought T.S. Eliot was referring to the fact that taxes were due in April.  Yes, I was way off.  Although April is cruel for the 15th looms large.  (And instills, if not fear, anxiety, in my heart.) This year April seems to be particularly "cruel."  We've had spurts of warm weather only to be crushed by cold.  But that alone is not what makes this period of time difficult for me.  April is a reminder that my parents are no longer with me. For me it actually starts in March.  "March Madness" was one of my dad's favorite times of the year.  Once retired, he barely budge from his chair, watching game after game.  Basketball was probably his favorite sport.  He played it in high school.  I think he was disappointed that his son was not interested.  He supported the Bucknell (men’s) basketball team.  (He didn't go to Bucknell, my mother did, but to the uninformed you would have thought he did.  He was s...

 ...or at least it's trying to.  We've had a couple of warmish days (coupled with a couple of cold ones.)  I've actually had the windows open a bit on more than one occasion.  (I really can't wait until I can open them and leave them open.)  We're moving in the right direction and that gives me some hope. New life is slowly popping up around here.  Things are slowing going from brown to green.  A few flowers have actually opened a little.  The crocus was first and the daffodils are following suit.  (How I LOVE daffodils...if they were to take over the yard I'd be happy.)  The tulips are still trying.  (I've got my fingers crossed.) The birds are singing again.  I finally saw a robin here.  I've seen other kinds of birds that I can't identify. (I should really get an app.)  Hearing them when I wake up, it's sweet.  It's relaxing.  I even find the crow of the rooster (or maybe that should be roosters) char...

 A story was relayed to me some years ago by a woman who lived in Newark, NJ and went to a political event (maybe it was rally?), where a young man, who did not live in Newark, was speaking.  He was running for mayor and according to this woman, was somewhat heckled or talked over.  She, being the woman that she was, told them to settle down and let the man speak.  She wasn't for or against this man, she just wanted to hear what he had to say.   The other day, that man, who did become mayor of Newark, and who has since become a Senator for the state, spoke on the senate floor for an amazing 25 hours and 5 minutes.  There were no bathroom breaks (which amazes me), he never sat down (he would not have been allowed) and there were no real pause in his speech (fellow senators were allowed to ask questions [although they seemed more like comments] which could take several minutes, which gave the senator a bit of a break, as did a brief break for t...