IT CAN BE DONE

 We headed east to the nation's capital recently to celebrate a 90th birthday and a couple of others and the drive out and back was everything one could hope for and expect. We went our normal path to Hancock and then wended our way south to the most western crossing of the Potomac all so we could avoid even a single horrible moment on the Cabin John and capital beltway. It was a nice entry into the Shenandoah Valley and we enjoyed it a lot. The drive back was a return up the same route and all in all it was a very nice days drive in each direction and left us feeling rested and relaxed. I cannot imagine having anything remotely as nice if we had driven ourselves to the airport here and flown to Dulles or National. It used to be a nice way to travel but the bloom left that particular rose decades ago for me.

It was a family get together of the senior members to celebrate birthdays and then go about our separate ways. It was fun, enjoyable, memorable and relaxing. It also meant what with the driving and all that I took time off from keeping up with the news and world events and perhaps that was the most restful part of the whole trip. As I look at the news and events around the world I sense a kinship with H.L. Mencken I entirely failed to ever notice before.

So that's up next then! I have most of what he has written and now I'll read it and reread the rest of it. I mean, the news of the world is just the most dismal unending stream of people doing the wrong things, splitting and dividing like their lives depend on it and generally a sense that 20% of the people really do seem to strive everyday to make the world end in fire. I prefer to read about that in books, not the news.