We finally have some snow - but it's doomed to melt starting sometime tomorrow, if the weather forecasters are right.  In the meantime, we have a lovely coating of white, slushy roads this morning when Fred went to St. J., and I can honestly say it's getting to look a lot more like Christmas than it has.  And this shows you what the traveling was like early this morning.

Remember last week we went over to Narrows Drive to see how the Keach's new home is progressing.  Actually, all we saw was the foundation, but never mind, the house will be coming soon.  Bo just sent me a short slide show of when they razed the house back in the fall.  It's both exciting and sad to see a house torn down, and I imagine they felt a bit of both.  Perhaps Bo will send pictures of setting the house in place.   That's exciting!

I've had several blog readers weigh in on the Sandy Hook School shootings.  Here are some of the thoughts they've expressed:

". . . We are heart-broken for the loss of the children in Connecticut.  Working at the hospital I see more and more homicide/suicide young adults and children 11 and 12 years old.  They tell me they don't want to be here anymore...It scares me to think that this is our future. Their parents are not parenting; the video game electronic technology is ruining them.. Face-book, social media, cell phone, gaming...I think it's all a part of the DISCONNECT....We have a whole generation of lost souls . . . "

" . . . I saw you comments about the shooting at Shady Hook Elementary School.  How incredibly difficult!  And it raises so many questions about our society, as you say.  I watched the Interfaith Memorial Service last night.  It was simply beautiful...Christian ministers of all sorts of denominations, a rabbi (who sang/chanted a haunting and gorgeous memorial prayer in Hebrew, which he then translated), a muslim cleric who read a prayer from the Koran about the love of God.  Both the CT governor and our President were wonderful.  If you didn't hear the Presidents words, here they are: Click here.

" . . . I signed a petition to The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama which says:  'Our second amendment rights are long overdue a reevaluation. How many more senseless and entirely PREVENTABLE shootings have to occur before we do something about Gun Control.  As a citizen and constituent of this great country, I am asking that you take a firm stand and make a positive change by restricting access to guns and saving lives.  I don't have a gun.  I don't want a gun.  I don't need a gun.  But somehow the guns always wind up in the hands of people crazy enough to use them irresponsibly and dangerously.  This HAS TO BE STOPPED.  Thank you for your action!!'  Will you sign this petition? Click here."

It's up to you whether you sign petitions or write to your representatives or whatever you choose to do or not do.  I'm just the messenger.  I think people simply want to do something, anything, to prevent more children being killed.
 

I heard a gentleman on CBS This Morning who said that in today's society, the average 12-year old child has already seen as much violence as the average 1970s adult did in a whole lifetime.  Isn't that sad?  I remember when there were watchdogs protesting violence in films, and that resulted in the present day alpha ratings designed to warn parents if the film has violence, sex or "adult language," leaving the decision up to the parents whether their child sees it or not.  That might work in a perfect world, but all too often, parents are too busy trying to earn a living and put food on the table to filter out all the bad stuff or spend much time with their children in order to explain or teach; and even if they are very careful what their kids see and do, just watching the previews in a movie theater or the promos on television can give a kid an overdose of all the above, usually in something less than a minute.  There are the games, their friends, and more pressures than we could have imagined even 20 years ago.  I've noticed some pretty raunchy shows have crept into early evening television which used to be safe for families to watch together.  Not so much anymore.  Even the special shows designed for young children sometimes have more violence than I think is good for young children, and parents really need to be there to explain some of the stuff they're seeing.  And don't even think about letting kids watch the news.  That's enough to unnerve adults, let alone youngsters.
  

Another expert this morning suggested better and more accessible mental health providers are needed.  He didn't mention how to get people to make use of such facilities, or who is going to pay for them.  

Surely the easy access to guns is part of the problem, but like an invasive weed, the seeds of violence spread easily, the roots are already deeply imbedded in our society - and being well fed.  It may take a whole lot more than just better gun control and psychiatric counseling to help kids grow up with values that will keep them and future generations safe.

It's too big a problem for me to solve, but I sure hope someone comes up with some solutions.  Soon.