Dedicated to Gail Wade and her teacher Bernadine Noggle who inspired this post on the occassion of Robert Burns birthday – a good reason to read poetry and drink fine scotch whiskey.

A Man’s a Man for A’ That
by Robert Burns
Also known as “Is there for honest Poverty.”

Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that.
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, an’ a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.

Perhaps I just need to change the name of this blog to “I guess you had to be there” because every day there is something that happens that really cracks me up. Typically, it is my kids or my hubby. They like to laugh.

So, yesterday my daughter brought home her homework from school and laid it out on the kitchen counter. One sheet of homework had a picture of our new President Obama looking very pensive with the question underneath the picture, “What do you think he is thinking about”.

My daughter spent a lot of time seriously considering all the possible answers to this question. Then my 10 year old walked in the room and saw this assignment on the counter and after a quick peak said “OH come ON! How could you Possibly know what he is thinking? When I have that look on my face I’m thinking about cats – if I had to answer this question my answer would have to be – cats. cats. cats. cats. cats.” This was entirely random because we don’t own a cat.

I truly appreciate my kids keeping a good perspective on politics and life in general.

But I guess you had to be there.

I don’t normally celebrate Elvis’ birthday but for some reason this year it just seemed to be a must. My favorite memories of Elvis where when he was singing with his ukelele. This may be because my Mom was never too far away from her ukelele at any time. We used to have campfires on the beach and she would play the ukelele and we would sing along. Pretty idealic childhood.

Since I was a kid when Elvis was in his hay day I loved him most when he donned a Hawaiian shirt. (As a teenager I began to appreciate his black leather jumpsuit worn in Jailhouse Rock but that’s another story).

BLUE HAWAII

So, this year we celebrate Elvis’ birthday and remember him and Alfred Shaheen who brought luau’s and pupu’s to the mainland.

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