It's Shovel Time

 It's time for more snow removal in our driveway.  I believe I have enough time to get the job done before heading to my day job.  It's windy and the snow is swirling.  Time to get to work.  Have a great day.

Dear Ryan

Editor's note:  Rarely do I share family in my stories.  Today is one great exception.  Please join me in wishing our oldest son, Ryan, a happy 30th birthday.

Dear Ryan,

Congratulations!  You're on the 30-yard line of an amazing life today.  Behind you are what seems like a lifetime of memories.  Please pardon me for posting this letter publicly today.  I do believe in my heart that everything we do in life has some kind of ripple effect for others and this birthday message may help one or two readers out there.

Your entry into the world on this day, thirty years ago was a prelude to all the roller coaster adventures ahead.  36 hours of back-to-back labor is no easy task for any mother but you have an exceptional mother who will endure anything for her family.  You came out of the birth canal with both blue eyes wide open, scanning your new world like a cyborg from Battlestar Galactica.  At age 4 you could recite all the names of the San Diego Padres players.  In 6th grade, you launched your first business, supplying sodas to classmates.  I remember you telling me that you looked at the law banning the sale during school hours but found nothing in the regulations that prevented student-to-student transactions.  When new competition sprung up from other young entrepreneurs entering the market, you stepped up and started lugging around icepacks in your backpack along with candy bars to stay ahead.  Your first play as a linebacker for Ramona High School showed your fierceness.  That bone-crushing tackle stopped play and an ambulance was called.

You are a warrior, son.  You have surrounded yourself with amazing life-time friends.  When you followed us to Iowa, you brought some of them with you.  You gained all the necessary certificates to land your dream job in computer security.  You built your own mega-computer from scraps that rival new models sold in stores.  The world is at your fingertips.

The world in front of you will always be filled with surprises, like last night when I told you, "Surprise, you have Italian blood in your veins."  Your ancestors come from as far away as northern Europe and as distant as Peru, another surprise in our family genealogy.  Their spirit will always be with you as you journey through life.  Be bold.  Use all the gifts God has given you to make this world a better place.  Stay close to your siblings.  You're on the 30-yard line today.  Happy birthday.  We're thankful to have the opportunity to spend this special day with you.  Thank you for the countless blessings we received all these years as your parents.  We love you with all our hearts.  Have a great day.

Where my Love of Beaches Comes From

 Have you ever heard of the Versilia Coast?  Much to my surprise, this is the place where ancestors within the last five generations of my family roamed.  I always knew my dad's side of the family lived on the Emerald Isle... but Italy?  Until I read my ancestry report I had no clue we have Italian blood flowing in our veins.  Tuscany to be exact.  29.9%.  Mama Mia!  Even my own mother was surprised.  "Did it come from me?" she asked, wanting to know every detail.  I went through the report, line by line, starting with Tuscany, the top region on my report.  Germany came in at 25%.  No surprise there because we were always told we had some German blood.  Mexico was in third place at 14% followed by the British Isles at 13.4%.  The surprise about Mexico is how pocito it is since my mother's side of the family comes from Mexico.  Perhaps it's because they also have roots in Europe and much further to the south of Mexico, Peru to be specific.  Peru, located on the west coast of South America is 6% of who I am.  

I paid extra to go back more than five generations and discovered that my dad's side of the family is from Finland.  My ancestors, like me, woke up one day and asked, "why don't we go to the beach?"  One of the kids may have added, "I heard Ireland is a great place."  So there you have it.  My blarney comes from multiple sources, about 20% from the Americas and 80% from mostly Europe.  Japan showed up at 1% along with Puerto Rico at 1%, another great beach location.  Yes, I love beaches.  Thank you, CRI Genetics for your insightful ways.  Have a great day.

My Genetics Report Arrived

 Now I know where I come from.  There were some surprises.  One of them is how well these people can glean information from DNA.  They predicted my blue eyes were 99% possible when I have siblings with all ranges of color.  I will share more on this when I have time to dig deeper.  These folks went back in time about one thousand years.  The company I used is CRI genetics.  They don't share your DNA with others and they do a great job keeping you informed during every step of the process.  Come back tomorrow and I'll share the details.  Have a great day.

My Favorite Photo from the Recent Snow Event

 

The photo you see above was shot at the tail end of the snow event.  I captured the photo as the sun was coming out of the clouds for the first time.  It was still snowing even though the sun was shining.  You're looking at the adjacent property adjoining our back yard.  The rec center is located on the far side of the soccer and softball fields.  I'm grateful for the abundance of space around us.  It felt good to be standing in this place of solitude after logging more than six miles in my driveway clearing out the snow.  Now it's back to my day job and another fun night on the tennis courts with my teammates.  Have a great day.

Early Morning Workout in the Snow Today

According to my cell phone app, I logged nearly three miles since 5:30AM this morning and I never left my driveway.  Almost one foot of snow has fallen since early afternoon yesterday.  The snow is still falling.  I removed the snow in our driveway the old-fashioned way– with a shovel.  I will break out the snowblower when my body can no longer tolerate these early morning workout sessions.  So far so good.  Mother Nature is doing a good job whipping me into shape.  I will need an afternoon session to remove the next layer of snow and then it's back to my day job tomorrow.  Our family is doing well despite the blizzard conditions we are facing with this storm.  Have a great day.

The Choice

Everything is a choice.  Everything.  Even not making a choice is a choice.  Some are big.  Some are small.  I believe every choice has a consequence.  It may take time to see what that consequence is.  Choose carefully.  Today I'm choosing to make all my choices while in the best state of mind.  Choices made while in a state of anger cannot be taken back.  Why not choose to refrain from anger in the first place?  Whatever choice you make today, I hope it brings you satisfaction.  Perhaps it might be a good idea to keep a log of the top choices you make each day.  The trajectory of your life depends on your choices.  Thank you for choosing to stop by and visit today.  Have a great day.