Pete is getting a FRALP.

QUOTE from Katie Couric: "Good manners beget good manners. My dad was obsessed with a firm handshake and eye contact, as am I. Old-fashioned qualities like integrity, honor and character - no matter how old you are - are qualities that never go out of style."


I've had this Cedar Rapids Gazette article from May 14th on my desk for a month so I decided to share this today and for the next several  days. I LEARNED some interesting information about how different religions bury their dead.

We all know how the Protestants and Catholics bury their dead so I will skip them and dwell on how the Muslims, Jews and Hindus do it. First, let's see what the Muslims do.

ISLAM: This information came from Russell Mohammed, a director of the Mid-America Muslim Cemetary in Kansas City. Mr. Mohammed said the 24-hour burial is not in the Quran but is a cultural practice from the faith's desire to respect the body and to avoid decay.
- Since autopsies would injure the body, those are not allowed.
- Also, we don't embalm - this is disrespecting  the body.
- The body is washed; then it is wrapped in a white shroud.
- After that are prayers, and the body is taken to the cemetary.
- We don't normally use caskets, just bury in the ground, where it (the body) becomes part of the soil. The   upper part of the body, the head, is turned toward Mecca.
- We respect the deceased just as if they were alive. The washing and the wrapping with a shroud is done carefully.
- We do not allow viewing of the body except for the immediate family after the washing.
- Mr. Mohammed said some Muslim countries do not allow women to go to the cemetary because they think they will be too emotional.
- We allow them to stand at a distance, and after the burial site is covered, they can come closer.

One conclusion I've reached after reading this is; It would be a hell of a lot cheaper to die a Muslim. The family wouldn't be left with $7 to $15,000 worth of burial expenses.


HUMOR for today comes from the PICKLES comic strip in this morning's paper.

Nelson, the six year old grandson of Earl and Opal, is sitting on the recliner with Grandpa Earl.

Neslon says: "Grandpa, do you have cankles?"
Grandpa: "Cankles? What are cankles?"
Nelson: "It's when your calves and ankles blend together. Gramma says she has them, and she hates them."
Grandpa: "Nope, I don't have cankles. I do have a fralp, though."
Nelson: "What's a fralp?"
Grandpa: "That's when your forehead blends into your scalp."

(I'm afraid I'm getting closer to having a FRALP.)

Every morning I read what I wrote in my Gratitude Journal in 2009. What I wrote on June 12, 2009 caught my attrention and I'm going to share it today.
That day I wrote: "I'm grateful for the colors purple and green."

My favorite color has always been purple. I liked purple because I always liked how great Ruth Ann looked when she was wearing that color. However, when the month of June comes to Iowa my favorite color turns to green. By June everything is green - the grass, trees, flowers, garden plants, golf courses - and the fields of Iowa are turning green as the hay, corn, and soybeans emerge through the rich black soil. It is an amazing sight to see as nature takes its course. I'm grateful for the month of June  - with everything green it gives me a mental high.