There are times when you should sit down and write something "just because" it is 8:52 on a Wednesday morning with the temperature hovering in the low 40's, moving toward the low 50's in an hour or so and finally planting itself for this day in the low 60's at 3;00 a.m.CST. You need to celebrate "just because" the sun is shining and the weatherman tells us that it will change to rain on Friday 80% and Saturday 60%. Something should be said "just because" a beagle won the Westmingster dog show for the first time and howled in glee on winning. Actually the dog howled "just because" it now means that he can look forward to a life of breeding other beagles with really special lady dogs. Also, it is not true that he entered the contest "just because" he wanted to run on a campaign of CHANGE (although that happened too "just because" he was entered.)

I feel like writing "just because" it is another day and my eyes are open and my back has decided to take time off from giving me a pain "just because" I have abused it for years. The grandchildren, who are staying with us as their parents are moving to a new house which is being renovated "just because" they have the money to renovate it and the aesthetics fit their sensitivity, are still sleeping so that I can write something here "just because" I think that as a member of RECSWUSA I should. Also I am writing "just because" it is fun to put words to page and ideas to the winds of the Internet. No big deal, anyone can write something, even if there is nothing to write about they think. You do it "just because" there might be someone really neat out there who just might write back "just because!"

Joe 

Just because it is Friday and I worked out at the Y, went to the college with the last two papers marked for my students, and the rains passed us by on their way North, I decided to share some quotes that my daughter sent me (she says, "You use all my stuff without paying me back," but I answer, "I helped bring you into the world just because...."). Here they are: 

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go."

"I can't imagine a person becoming a success who doesn't give this game of life everything he's got."  - - Walter Cronkite

Just because I am on some kind of list for Sotheby's, I got a poster with a neat quote (white on black): "DO WHAT YOU LOVE. LOVE WHAT YOU DO." What is so neat is the placement of the two lines: "DO" is placed over an unside down "DO" and "LOVE" is placed over an unside down "LOVE." The sort-of mirror image makes it have meaning beyond the original idea. I like it just because I am.....

Joe 

Just because I am touched by this, I post this here, by America's greatest landscape photographer, Ansel Adams. Please feel free to exchange "photograph" with "painting":

"A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photograophed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a trrue expressionb of what one feels about life in its entirety."

Just because we attended the Coronado Rotary Club in San Diego, we heard a remarkable young woman describe a dream.  The dream was to place young people, known to society as throw away kids, into home like settings where they stay for their entire high school career.  They live in small homes, with couples as their "parents", and go to the academy on the premises.  The family units stay for the years they are in high school.  They are loved, taught responsibility, and most of all, given hope.  After high school unlike most social service programs, they have the loving arms to help them adjust to the real world.  The academy has alumni housing, and continued services and support. 95% of the students graduate from the accredited high school, most go on to trade school, and some four year colleges.  The individual stories are heart warming. 

Just because we went to Rotary.

Carol Anderson

Just because I was cruising what you, Carol,  wrote about your travel adventures, visiting different Rotary Clubs, I found this eThread about this unique academy for "throw away kids." It was marvelous.

Just because we live in Texas, yesterday Anne and I voted in the primary and then returned at 7:15 pm to vote again in a caucus. Only in Texas. We, 497 Democrats and 3 Republicans for seven separate caucuses-six for Democrats and one for the three Republicans,  sat there until close to 9 just because the voting polls had not closed and the caucus cannot start until they do. We all voted again for who we supported, then voted for delegates to the convention to represent our candidate. With the election so close this morning in the Democratic selection process, Hilary got 64 delegates in the primary and Obama 62; with the breakdown in caucus running anywhere from 52 to 48 and 55 to 45 percent, Obama will get about 36 more delegates and Hilary 30. Also there are 12 super delegates that none of us vote for. Only in Texas just because they love their politics to be a little crazy and a little more than confused. Oh, basically, we are where we were in the delegate count for both Democratic candidates after yesterday.

Just because c'est le vie!

Joe 

Just because we live in beautiful Albuquerque, I have the opportunity to work with kids and critters.  I spent one day this week in a classroom working with students on writing research papers.  Then workd with several hawks and large owls at Taking Talons.

Talking Talons is a bird of prey rescue and a Youth Leadership Organization.  We presnt science classes to middle shool and high school classes, mainly to students that are at risk.  The students truely relate to the rescue animals, and in turn learn to care for them.  Students are given hands on experience and then are encouraged to share their knowledge by presenting one of the rescue animals to other groups.

It is exciting to see students who have little self esteem, grow so much in one year, and seeing the results years down the road.

Carol Anderson