In a flush of contentment last week I bought a tee-shirt that said "Life is Good" across the chest under a graphic of a spruce tree. When I got it home and took a closer look I saw that the phrase "Life is Good" has become a registered trademark of the shirt maker. This discovery took about half of my good mood away. How dare they trademark my hackneyed private sentiments!
But, trademarked or not, life
is good. My older son graduated from college last weekend. It is a beautiful summer day in Vermont. The Red Sox have a ten game lead in the East, 13 1/2 over the Yankees, and tomorrow is the annual
Strolling of the Heifers. Brattleboro, Vermont is the home of the Holstein Association which harbors the personal information of over 19 million cows worldwide. It's a heady responsibility for a small town and handled with aplomb, not to mention shovels. It is the most kid-friendly parade I've ever seen. Cows, tractors and jump rope drill teams are the main attraction. Every year
Turkey Hill ice cream puts a giant plastic Holstein on a trailer and drags it through town. Every year we take a picture of it and put it in the center of our Christmas card. It's the small traditions that hold a society together and we do our part.
We had a fun
Wait-Wait, Don't Tell Me this week in Chicago. Amy Dickinson and PJ O'Rourke, my favorite Republican, were the other panelists and graciously allowed me to win. I just bought PJ's new book
On the Wealth of Nations at the airport to make me look smarter. Tomorrow I take pictures of a plastic cow.
Life is good. You can trademark that.
It's been awhile between posts, but I have a good excuse. I've been back in Alaska with the family enjoying life at the top of the world again. This is the first time in over 30 years I've been in Alaska without owning anything here. I realized very quickly that if you don't own anything you don't have anything to take care of. Buddhists figured this out a long time ago and that's why they are always smiling. I have been smiling too -- kicking stones on the beach with the boys, borrowing boats to see the bay, and generally enjoying the good weather, fresh fish and most excellent company. Now, it's back to Vermont where my tractor waits quietly for me.
