Tuesday Trimmings

It's Tuesday and things are shaping up so far. I had some unexpected time given to me as a gift today by the Master Scheduler, so I was able to get things done for two kids quicker than I thought I could. I had lost all hope of being able to attend a conference on Thursday about eating disorders, but now things are not looking quite so grim. I may be able to go, depending on what tomorrow holds.

I'm still working at home in the evenings, and tonight is no exception - I just took a minute to blog. When will warm weather arrive? Today was cloudy (again), rainy (again), and chilly (again). I am ready for 70's, and SUN. The yard is grown up in the back, still way to wet to push a mower through. My son offered to come over Thursday and do it, but I don't know if we'll be dried out enough by then, especially if we get more rain tomorrow. I may need to rent a brush hog by the time this is over.

So I see that Thomas Ethredge has landed back in Wichita, having been arrested in an airport in Texas. He now is charged with 10 counts of securities fraud as he tried to pull together financing for his theme park venture,Wild West World, back in 2007. He closed WWW only 2 months after opening it and filed bankruptcy. It IS unfortunate that he attempted to open it the day after a tornado blew Greensburg off the map, but I guess that's one of those things. The charges are that Mr. Ethredge failed to disclose some necessary information to investors, i.e., "he misrepresented the true nature of his prior business experience, he failed to disclose that he had multiple convictions for securities fraud and failed to pay restitution, he failed to disclose that he did not pay taxes in 2005, and he failed to disclose that he stopped making payments on the land for his other business, the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper."

If all is true, Mr. Ethredge has swindled several people out of several hundred thousand dollars, and I know two of those people. We've been out to the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper two or three times over the years and we've enjoyed the time we've spent there. Mr. Ethredge is a cowboy, a patriot, a faithful church member and tither, and seemingly, a faithful Christian - all of those things made him a genuinely likeable person. One time before all of this came to light, I overheard a conversation between two people about him. One person was telling the other person that he (Ethredge) was a crook, a cheat, and a liar, and that someday, it was all going to blow up in his face. I eavesdropped, interested in what was being said, and at that time, I was disturbed that anyone could say those things about such a fine gentleman.

Hmmm. If it's true, then it's a lesson learned for all of us. The NIV says in Matthew 10:16: "Be shrewd as snakes, and as innocent as doves." Timely words.