As a child, my grandmother was my hero. Most people called her Mary, her mother referred to her as Flax-head, the grand-kids all called her Nan . She was always there to wipe the tear, make us laugh when we wanted to cry, give needed words of encouragement, support our wildest of ideas, and cheer us through life’s challenges no matter what the situation. We could always count on her positive approach to life and help in navigating our way through those tough places. She was a great listener no matter how long the story lasted, she'd patiently wait until you were finished.

A great deal has been said and done about taxes over the last two years, including the creation and rise to prominence of a political party whose platform champions the idea of changing the tax code and reducing the spending of the Federal Government. Known as the TEA Party, this “new” national party and all of its chapters have been a major player in the fight for lower taxes and even had a direct impact upon the 2010 Congressional elections.

I spent most of my time Sunday either at cemeteries or on the road to cemeteries in honor of Memorial Day. I drove my parents through four cities to pay tribute to lost loved ones. There is a graveyard behind their house in Lawrence, but we also visited Ottawa, Scipio and Garnett—all small towns in eastern Kansas. (It should be noted that a short distance west of Lawrence is the famous Stull Cemetery, but fortunately a trip to the source of numerous urban legends was not on the agenda.)