Been thinking about all of these people who are protesting having to shelter-in-place and the other side who wish for all of us to live in plastic bags (remember my wife?).

Seems like folks are scared or, as my mother used to say, “Have ants in their pants.” Don’t care. Do what you think is best…just make sure it’s best.

And once again, i am amazed at how smart people are. They must be. They are telling me what i should and shouldn’t do because they know. Really? They know?

Now,  just a thought for all those folks who wish to go out and mingle, regardless of the noble reason behind it: If you really, really think you unquestionably know it’s okay go out, okay. But think about it. What if you are wrong? Are you willing to risk killing someone because you are so sure you are right?

Me, i’m hunkering down. Sarah has allowed me to do that with almost impunity. A week ago, Maureen and i did mask and glove up and staying six feet away from everybody else went out and got some tomato plants. Please understand. i need my home grown tomatoes. Maureen has had some justifiable reasons to got forth, but she is much more diligent than i about observing all the precautions, and she is a dang sight younger than me. So i’m okay with that.

And i get to eat her meals. And the weather has turned Southwest corner spring. And i enjoy my writing, reading, and doing the home projects. And every other night or so, we watch an old movie. Like last night, we watched “The Quiet Man” again, the movie that captured me when i first saw it in the dash hanger of the USS Lloyd Thomas (DD-764) in the middle of the Atlantic in 1963, and i have watched perhaps twenty times since then and could watch tonight, tomorrow night, the next night, and…you got the picture.

And then, and then, along came Jones…oops, lost track: that’s a Coaster’s song. And then, i assessed the morning. Maureen and i dined al fresco in the back southeast corner of our yard proper.

So i don’t need to go out. Nope. i’m fine right where i am. And i ain’t gonna kill nobody.

It’s that time of night: a full day with a little weed whacking, a very little garden tending, a lot of writing, a wonderful hour or so of catching up with Brenda Fake, a nice Maureen dinner with a good wine while we checked the weather and to see if there was any major news development (there wasn’t) and i noted i could tell the slant each news story was going to take from the source station. Then, we had an incredible brownie made by Sarah.

i watched some bluegrass that was really great (Thank you, Amy Beth Hale).

As usual, this kind of day and evening gets me to reflecting. And man, did i reflect. Was gonna write about the reflections and then said to myself, “Not tonight. No, not tonight.”

Then the other two retired to bed. i sat here wrestling with myself as to what i should do when it hit me. Damn near forgot.

George Henry Harding, V, had a birthday today. He’s old. Almost as old as me.

i won’t write much about him here. i think i covered that about a month ago.

In fact, after he read that post and we exchanged comments, he wrote me, “Back at you, brother from another mother.”

i think that pretty well covers it.

Happy Birthday, you old fart. i’ll call tomorrow.

What most of you might consider a long time ago, is not a long time for me.

You see, i’m writing this book about something that happened 36-37 years ago. Because i’m so into it, it doesn’t seem so long ago. When it comes to some special people it seems like it was yesterday.

There were a whole bunch of people who made that time in my life a wondrous successful adventure. Today, there is one that stands out. She was and remains special. i haven’t see her in oh, about thirty-seven years.

But when someone is one of the best Naval officers whom you knew in your Navy career, you remember. And the fact she was one of the cutting edge in women in the Navy, it is even more impressive.

i could go on and on, but let’s cut to the chase.

Noreen Leahy one of the best. Had she remained in the Navy, i am sure she would have been an admiral. But she didn’t stay. So she became successful. Got her doctorate. She’s helping people. She has a wonderful husband and great kids, and though it’s hard to believe, she is a grandmother.

Thank you, Noreen Leahy. You remain an inspiration.

Happy Birthday.