Monday Musings - Memorial Day Edition...

Welcome to the start of the last week in May, and with it, our Memorial Day salute.
And, it's a wonderfully "soft" (wet) day greeting us here in the Heartland of America.
Unfortunately, they've been deluged down in San Antonio Texas with floods, so the weird weather for Spring continues.
Our wet weather here will continue most of the day with morning showers and perhaps some scattered ones later tonight.
Temps will continue to be a tad cooler than normal for this time of year, after a nice respite from last week's hot spell, and will top out around the high 60s.
It may dampen your cookout around here, but it should NEVER dampen your spirit for what today means, and we'll explore that in a few.
*** First up, Tony Kanaan finally won the Indianapolis 500 after eleven attempts.

And personally, I was glad to see that happen. I always root for the "underdog", and the back story behind the win (if you believe in luck) was a really good one with a "local" aspect.
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/tony-kanaans-good-luck-charm-has-local-ties
An Indiana woman (then 15 years old) had a brain hemorrhage and was in a coma. She had said that Tone Kanaan was her favorite driver before this happened, and he went and visited her in the hospital. It was there he gave her a good luck medallion HIS mother had given him years before. This was NINE years ago. Today, Andrea Irwin is the Decatur, Indiana woman who has kept that medallion since, and has also made a full recovery, is married and living in Crawfordsville.

Prior to Sunday's race, Andrea sent the medallion BACK to Kanaan, and it was in his pocket when he finished the race, winning his first Indy 500.
Great way to pay it forward, imho.
Moving on...
*** Today IS Memorial Day, and with it come the always divertive "holiday" sales and frivolity that seem to accompany family get-togethers or some other public venue designed to have us all enjoy the familiar, and embrace the repetitive.

But while we're doing all THAT, there is a more important REASON behind WHY we can do what we do, and that is because of the freedom and liberty we have enjoyed in this nation over time by those that sacrificed MUCH and the many that have sacrificed ALL. How often do we permit ourselves to conveniently forget that during everything else we're busy doing?
Well, as a reminder, I'm providing a little "public-service" announcement for those who have forgotten.
For the rest of us, it's more like a REAFFIRMATION of what we've known all along, and continue to memorialize, not just today...but every day.

Always remember...never forget.
Freedom is NEVER free.
DO have yourselves a great week.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.