"IF I ONLY HAD THE NOUVE"

Bert Lahr was my favorite. Oh, the Flying Monkeys were cool. Scarey but cool. And Dorothy and Toto were characters who garnered sympathy and therefore were good. The Good Witch Glenda was refreshing. Sanguine, but refreshing, for who had heard of a good witch? The Munchkins were awesome, especially when they sang. But the cowardly lion was the best.

Who would think I would see his image in a snow covered car, but here he is. So that leaves me in a nostalgic frame of mind. "The Wizard of Oz" has to be on everyone's list of all-time favorites. Did you ever talk to anyone who didn't like it?

And when Judy sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" did any kid ever not want to go there? It was that way, too, when I heard "The Big Rock Candy Mountain," but I guess I've always wanted to be on the go.

No, I haven't forgotten the Tin Man or the Scarecrow. They were also very cool. The Wizard, himself, well, he was pretty sharp, for a traveling medicine show performer. But I still say the lion was the best. No one else could have played him like Bert.

THICK OR THIN

While this photo is not the original, it could have been. Maybe a stretch, because my dad's grocery carried more than poultry and meat.

In MTV on South 10th Street where a carpet store used to be located, where old timers might remember WG Motors, stood the Red and White. That was the grocery my dad owned along with his brother-in-law. I think there was a third owner, a Mr. Garrison, but I'll have to check with my brother on that fact.

Note of errata. I try not to embellish or stretch truths in my blogs, but I found a couple of errors in the Hang Gliding blog. First of all, I later read that the hang gliders in Jackson Hole were tandems, one being a professional. That may explain the great maneuvers and heights they achieved. Also I referred to one doing a 180; actually it was a 360. My high school geometry teacher, Mrs. Richardson would not have approved.

Anyway(s), my dad's store featured the first self-service grocery carts in town. Until then, you went to the counter and the grocer would run to get what you needed. I remember a few neighborhood grocery stores that operated that way when I was a kid. Mr. Leibengood's on South 21st was one where I liked my parents to order baloney (I know; it's bologna, but that's not what we called it) sliced thick. About 3/4 inch per slice would do. In fact I still order meat cut thick. It usually confuses the deli meat slicers, who often echo incorrectly,"Thin?" "No, thick," I insist.

Dad lost interest in the store after his brother-in-law was killed in the Battle of the Bulge. As a kid my brother worked in the Red and White. By the time I came along, Dad was a salesman, so I had to go to Kenny's on 20th or Gus' on 21st to get my thick cut.

WHERE'S THE FIRST LADY?

I think Laura Bush is a great First Lady. She seems gracious, appealing, genuine, and supportive. But where has she been?

Even if she doesn't like the limelight, she does seem to have a lot to offer. She's bright, she's concerned about students learning to read, and she's a Christian woman who should be a role model. But why is she almost invisible?

In fact, there are so many questions about the President that I don't understand. Who are his handlers? And I don't mean that negatively, but who is advising him and how to get across his message? Why don't they emphasize how much of an environmentalist he is. I'm not kidding. His house in Crawford has been re-designed to be perhaps the greenest house in the country. How about global warming? His admin. has spent far more money on global warming than Clinton/Gore. Where's the kudos?

What about the economy and stock market? What about removing a tyrant who practiced massive genocide? What about homeland security since 9/11? I see them all as positives that went virtually unnoticed by the media and the populace.

I'm sure opponents could site many failures as well. But those have been emphasized and overly hyped by the media. Vast right wing conspiracy? Hardly. But why have Bush's accomplishments been swept under the rug? And where is Laura? She's certainly a positive that should get much more exposure.

"WE'RE NUMBER ONE"

And we always have been. Fourth of July just always brings it out more. " Lest we forget," is not just for Veterans' Day, or it shouldn't be.

So let's celebrate. The usual way. Wave the flag. Enjoy picnics and fun around the water and parades, ballgames and food. Summertime food. Watermelon and corn and hamburgers and hot dogs. And yes, political speeches. But let's be fair, today, media, because that's what this country was founded on. Let's not report what Mitt Romney did to his dog in 1983, and omit mention of Jimmy Carter's support of the Hamas one week ago.

Let's focus on a holiday about a little bitty fledgling country that whipped the most powerful country in the world at that time to gain our independence. It's about how God has shed His grace (spread His grace is more accurate) on us. Time and time again.

Let's get Congress and President Bush together again to hammer out a viable immigration bill. Recess? Not yet, my friends; your work is not done. You were able to vote yourselves a raise of $4,000 per year. Now go back into session and earn it. We'll give you the 4th off to enjoy the liberties we have. Please stick around for the fireworks. That's a huge part of our celebration and tradition. But like most other working Americans, show up to work on July 5, and bring down the gavel to start another session.