Seven years ago today, just 45 minutes past midnight, my father passed away. His death certificate said "lung cancer," which had only been diagnosed two days before. I believe to this day he died from a broken heart. His health had been good until after my mother passed away 5 years before. They’d been married 47 years, went everywhere together, and never had a cross word to say to each other. They never raised their voices. (The closest they ever argued was when they went to the peach orchard and Mom would accuse him of picking bruised peaches. It remains one of my fonder memories because it was so funny.) If I hadn’t moved back in to take care of him, he probably would have died within 6 months. I worked part-time so I could take care of him, take him to the doctor and to physical therapy for his arthritic knees. About the only times he really enjoyed anything was when I took him to his annual army reunions (338th Engineers, WWII). The irony about his death was that it came 45 minutes after my mother’s birthday. (She would have been 85 yesterday.) I  miss them both but I rejoice in the wonderful life they had together.

Ten years ago my hometown’s zoo sent its elephant, Bunny, to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. It was a big event—news reporters made the trip to report on Bunny’s reaction to being in the free and wild for the first time in at least 40 years (I’m not sure if she was born in confinement or not). She was given a physical examination and was in good shape, but she had sores on the bottom of her feet from standing on concrete for 40 years. Although she was well cared for at our local zoo, she was still confined. I always got depressed every time I saw her standing alone.

Bunny passed away a few weeks ago, the first of the elephants in the sanctuary to die from old age. She had made friends and enjoyed the open countryside. I am so thankful she had those ten years, as brief as they were, to enjoy life. She will be missed, but she’s an inspiration, and her story should encourage zoos across the country to do the right thing. Elephants are wonderful animals. Humans can learn much from them.

For those of us who live alone, there’s something comforting about late night TV, whether it’s Jay, Dave, Conan, Craig, or the two Jimmys. They are, of course, different from the earlier talk shows that conveyed sophistication and gave this Hoosier a sense of New York out here in the hinterlands. Both now and then, they gave/give us a perspective on the day’s events. We made it through a rough day, now it’s time to relax; we’ll get through the night and another day. For me, David Letterman’s first show after 9/11 brought about a healing effect after one of the most horrible events in this country’s history. For the humor, comfort, and sometimes wisdom that they give us, they are worth what they’re paid. I, too, think Conan has made a promising start on The Tonight Show. It’s going to be hard to choose between him and Dave. Thank goodness for the remote.

From one who has only had a weekend getaway in the last four years, I’m aching to go ANYWHERE! Alas, this year it’s not possible. There is an economic alternative, a place to go where you can travel any place in the world, and even back in time. I’m talking about your local genealogical library. I’m suggesting this at the risk of being self-serving, because I am a part-time library assistant, but I have seen many people over the years who leave the library with "family members" they’d never met before. Sometimes vacationing is not so much a matter of going somewhere as a matter of relaxing and learning new things about yourself. (Oh, yes, genealogy is hard work but very fulfilling.)