Columns/Opinions

   In honor of Mother’s Day and the fact that I have treated myself by not doing anything, I am using an old blog post. 
   It is fitting too because last week I ran over my first snake. 
   Luckily I remembered tonight before we shut it down totally to go and close the door on the chicken coop. 
   My boys brought in the eggs earlier and opened it up so that the chickens could have some fresh air.
   I always feel sorry for them if they are stuck inside too long. 
   I also felt sorry for them when our Jack Russell massacred part of their family. (That is another story and a subject here that I do not need to bring back up….ever!) 
   I nominated myself because my girls were all settled sitting clean and pretty on the couch. 
   My boys were in the shower. My husband was already asleep. 
   I grabbed the high-powered flashlight and headed on my way thinking positive thoughts. 
   I sometimes freak myself out in the dark!

   While the Israelites were headed to the Promised Land, the people became very discouraged. 
   They spoke against God and Moses and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” (Numbers 21:4-5). 
   They were in an attitude of mutiny. Many wanted to go back to Egypt. 
   God responded by removing His protection from the people. Fiery Serpents went out and bit the people of Israel. Some became very ill, and some died. 
   Now where did these fiery serpents come from? 
   Did God just create them in an instant? 
   No, they were living among the people the entire time. 
   Just like Psalms 91, God was protecting them during their travel. He simply lifted His protection and the serpents attacked the Israelites. 

   With an overabundance of rain Mother’s Day weekend, or, at least Friday and Saturday; my mom and I changed our plans up and went to see a movie together.
   The Hustle piqued our interests and promised laughs for an otherwise dreary Saturday afternoon.
   Plus, I’m a big fan of Rebel Wilson and find her comedic work to be outstanding.
   The Hustle is a comedy film directed by Chris Addison and written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, and Jac Schaeffer. 
   It is a female-centered remake of the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which is itself a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story.
   It also reminds me of a mix between “Ocean’s 8” and the “Pitch Perfect” trilogy with tons of laughs and fairly decent chemistry between Hathaway and Wilson.
   The movie is rated PG-13 on appeal for crude sexual content and language.

   Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is this Sunday.
   Usually, for us, that means doing something mom wants or needs doing.
   Often times it’s a huge undertaking like re-painting the house or draining and scrubbing out the pool.
   This year, we’re at a bit of a loss due to weather predictions including lots of rainfall.
   That really limits what we can do outside.
   Plus, it makes it harder to travel if roads get flooded and I don’t see anyone of us driving through hail.
   Sorry, mom!
   My siblings aren’t going to be coming home either, so that really narrows down the scope of work we can accomplish indoors.
   I did have to remind her that everyone came home for Easter, so, at least she got one semi-May holiday out of the way.
   But, I know that it isn’t the same and it really limits what we can do to celebrate.
      And I use the term “celebrate” loosely; because in the end, it’s all about what mom decides.

   Last week caused a friend of mine to remind me of the old maxim to “sell in May and go away” as the Dow dropped over 100 points each on Wednesday and Thursday. 
   I called him back Friday with the Dow recovering most of the losses. He called me back on Monday with the President indicating the need to raise tariffs on Chinese trade to 25%. 
   This sent the Dow down at the open by over 400 points, which was temporary, as the Dow closed down under 100 points. 
   I don’t think that May has anything to do with the market but the fact that traders are nervous about the fact that we are back near record-high levels.
   What I think is that Trump was emboldened by last week’s economic news of 50-year-low unemployment levels and jobs created at over 200,000. 
   This will push China to negotiate. I believe these negotiations will extend into next year as the tariffs will not impact the economy as much many have suggested. 

   It’s almost Mother’s Day. 
   This year, in addition to flowers or candy, why not make some financial gifts to your mother? And if you’re a mother yourself, you can do the same for your children.
   Here are a few possibilities:
   If your mother is still working, you could write her a check to help her fully fund her IRA for 2019.
    Many people can’t afford to “max out” on their IRAs each year, so any help you provide will be valuable. 
   One more suggestion: Introduce Mom to a financial advisor, if she doesn’t already have one.
   Now, if you’re a mother, you might consider some other valuable financial gifts for your children. You could, for example, contribute to a 529 plan, which can offer tax-advantaged savings for college. 
   Or, to get your children interested in investing, you could give them a few shares of stock. 
   To encourage their philanthropic interests, you might donate to a charity in their names.

   Today was Sunday, fun day, get ready for the next week day… prepare for the last few weeks of school day! 
   Last week, I said multiple times to my fellow co-workers at the elementary that we still had too much time left for everyone to be acting so wild and crazy. 
   I meant that for the adults and for the children. 
   Everywhere I looked, I saw excitement. 
   The kids naturally seem to get more active and more hyper; however, the adults seem to dramatically slow down and struggle to complete normal tasks. 
   It is not a good mix at all! We have a saying though, and I believe it with all of my heart, “We will pull through.”
   I gave the children’s message this morning at church. I had pound cake on my mind. Because I am baking one tonight for work, I used the basic ingredients as my visual for the kiddos. 
   I held up a bag of flour and asked if they knew what it was. They identified it easily. 

   A farmer tried to raise an eaglet among some chickens. The eaglet was taught to run around like a chicken and scratch the dirt like a chicken. 
   Instead of flying, it was always taught to look down, and to run away from snakes like a scared chicken. 
   But each time it did those things, it knew in its heart that something was wrong. 
   One day, it happened to look up and see an eagle flying high and majestically in the sky, with a snake grasped in its claws! 
   The eagle gave a loud shriek that resonated deep within the heart of the eaglet. 
   It tried to tell the chickens about it, but the chickens said, “Stop dreaming! You’re a chicken. We chickens are earth-bound. We don’t fly. And we’re terrified of snakes!” But the more the eaglet saw the eagle, the more it saw its true destiny. 

   While it seems like nothing is going to stop Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” from soaring at the top of the box office, “Long Shot” comes in at a solid third place and is full of laughs.
   I’m just saying if you were a fan of Rogen’s work, especially 2007’s “Knocked Up,” then you’ll feel a similar vein in this movie.
   Long Shot is a romantic comedy film directed by Jonathan Levine and written by Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah. 
   The film stars Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, and Alexander Skarsgård.
   In 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Theron) learns from President Chambers (Odenkirk) that he does not plan on running for a second term. 
   Seeing an opportunity, she convinces him to endorse her as a potential presidential candidate.

Bees and Beekeeping
   We all know that bees are critically important to most all pollinating plants but sometimes come with a fear that can lead to impulse responses. 
   Some concerns are legitimate, and knowledge of bees and bee biology is important to understanding those concerns. 
   The proper management of this critical natural resource can be extremely enjoyable and return a sweet response to add to your diet! With bees, much like everything else, knowledge is key to management and potential success.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Matagorda County will be holding a bee and beekeeping event to cover the 101 of management. 
   This event will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the WCJC campus in Bay City at 4000 Ave F.