Buttercup

I neglected to say in a previous post that some plants in our Dead Zone seem to be happy there and at least pretend to enjoy it when I visit with them, such as this buttercup (Ranunculus repens). So it is not all bleakness and despair.

Also, today I'm starting work on the stairs. I'll give them a light sanding, then follow up with the polyurethane that I used in the kitchen. It is tough as nails: a good thing since Willow is scratching the steps in a disgraceful manner.

Last night we watched a nice movie called Taking Chance, a true story of a marine colonel who volunteers to escort the body of a young marine home from Iraq to Wyoming. The colonel, who is doing this for the first time, discovers that people along the way--the pilot and attendants and baggage handlers and passengers--are aware of his mission and are all respectful and somber. We learn that the entire trip is a ritual: the colonel stands at attention as the casket is loaded onto and off of the plane.

The script of the movie apparently comes from the notes of the real-life colonel. There is no pro-war or anti-war message; it's just a simple story about a young boy from a small town who died in Iraq and whose body is treated with great respect. After the funeral, the colonel flies back home and is no longer in his uniform and is now invisible to everyone along the way. At the end of the movie you see some photos and home movies. Simple and real.

The coming months will see a renewed discussion about whether or not Iraq was, or is, a mistake. "Don't give up. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain," people will say with the intensity of someone watching the final minutes of a close football game, as if the scoreboard will determine whether the home team played honorably. But no one really believes this or even wants it to be true. Politicians can make mistakes. World events evolve. Stategies adapt. The concept of honor and sacrifice goes on.