I cut it twice and it's still too short

Happy Mother's Day to those who are mothers, have mothers, remember their mothers.

I've often thought that it was unfair that my mother's birthday was so close to Mother's Day, that neither holiday received their full measure. I/we tried to make sure that we observed each day fully, but the gravitational forces are strong. And by itself, Mother's Day can be a tough holiday for some. Father's Day has some of the same barbed wire around it, but motherhood has a special sentimentality. It's tough to get it right. Me? Well, I wouldn't mind a do-over or two.

I'm pretty sure that today would be Aitienpaiva in Finnish, but I'll have to check with my father.

Sandra's a good and careful worker on home-repair projects. A few years ago, she received a reciprocating saw for her birthday to go along with the fine collection of tools that she keeps in the cellar. I provide the oatmeal power. I lift what needs to be lifted, push what needs to be pushed. I can tell the difference between a cross-cut saw and a rip saw (learned that in junior high shop), but that knowledge doesn't translate to an ability to cut a straight line. Yesterday afternoon we trimmed a piece of plastic that is part of the vent for our air conditioner. (Yes, we believe that summer is coming, even though it's 41° now.) Sandra did the cutting and it fits nicely.

Today is also Victory in Europe day, marking 60 years since the surrender of the German army in World War II. We have parades and speeches and political brouhaha.

In the There will always be a Britain Dept., while peace was breaking out in Europe, we find a notice in the May 8, 1945 edition of The London Gazette, the paper of record for the United Kingdom, announcing the appointment of a second handmaiden for Princess Elizabeth. (PDF reader required to view the gazette. There's a list of similar official publications for other countries here.)

One of our favorite PBS shows, Ballykissangel, was unexpectedly replaced with another show last night. We wandered with the clicker and settled on the National Geographic show about the Yellowstone caldera. I'd heard the word caldera before, but mostly thought of it as a Linux distribution. So we watched the show and got suitable scared at the prospect that thing will blow. Then, in one my online news sites, I find that Yellowstone is a high threat for explosion. Yikes.

An added footnote: One of the side effects of a major volcanic eruption is global cooling. The ash (pulverized stone) goes into the stratosphere and dims the sunlight. In 1816, an eruption in Indonesia caused what's called The Year Without Summer. There were killing frosts in July and August. That was also the year that our house was built. (No mention in the historical records about cold weather.)