Please allow me to introduce the newest member of our family: Miss Khloe Lou McLindsey. Khloe was born on August 8th, 2010 so she is probably unimpressed at this point that her great-grandmother has such a soft spot for veterans and first responders. Too frequently, we forget to tell these people who answer the call to serve their country and fellow citizens how very much we respect and cherish them. So let's start with firefighters. Since Mom was good enough to capture Khloe Lou's salute while wearing her favorite Fire Department cap, please accept this token of our sincere appreciation:

To those brave men and women who fight fires and brave blazing infernos to keep us safe: We Salute You.

Mother was named Zora. Zora is a brand, not a name. In all my years, I have only seen the name Zora two other times. That is puzzling. She was named for her god mother, Zora Platt. In our county, people didn't bother to use Mother's last name; it was just Zora, and she was a charmer of all shapes, sizes and things.

To mother, love was food and food was love. I guess it is part of her nurturing instinct. It was also associated with talent. Mother was renowned for her fried chicken, her pies and her homemade noodles. While Mother taught my sister and I to cook all other goodies, she never once suggested we attempt any of her signature dishes. I'm a bit ho-hum about chicken, but I studied her efforts at pie crusts and noodles. Separately my sister and I accused her of not wanting any competition for her noodles or pie. We both got the same reply: a delighted, hearty laugh.

What makes a face irresistible? Is it a light in the eyes or a particular sort of smile? Whatever it is generally, that quality pounced off the newprint at me a year or two ago. I ripped it out of the paper without even noticing what it advertised. This comic smile has brightened the days from the top of my rolltop desk. I cannot look at this picture without at least a matching grin, and often I laugh. He inspired a little verse.

Then one day I got to wondering about who owns this happy little guy and what his name might be. I can see the collar and tag around his neck. Finally I found the picture again in an Gadzoo advertisement for World of Pets Unleashed. I want the world to know that this kindred soul will always be welcome here. We'll laugh away the days together. What could be more enjoyable?

Wisdom from a comic strip is not something one usually expects, but today, muttscomics.com featured what it called a Native American Proverb. It reads: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."  As we abuse and squander the Earth's resources, that was probably never more meaningful. Children of the Earth, beware! Look around you at the beauty, large and small that should be yours to enjoy and pass forward.

Earth Day. How ironic that we have a day to remind us that we are stewards of our own small planet. Frankly humans are not much different in planning for longevity than other animals.