Monday, March 30, 2009

Ad Astra Per Astrum

I have the Kansas State Motto pinned to my bulletin board. I am not from Kansas. I was there once for a brief period of time during which I bought a Kansas Jayhawks shirt and then I left, never to return again. I have pleasant if only brief memories of the state. I sadly no longer have the shirt.

While as a person, with no other strings attached, I like daylight saving time, once I get the sleep adjustment thing going on. As a mother, however, my dislike for daylight saving time knows no bounds. I was telling a friend the other day that I am going to write my congressman a letter:
{ Dear Sir,

This is to inform you that I am by no means saving any energy at all. When bedtime comes around with all it's morning glory still intact I must take extreme measures to convince my children it is INDEED time for sleep. I march around the house pulling down blinds and turning on lamps and lights to create the aura of evening. I have become pretty good at it. But my energy consumption has certainly increased, and YOU ARE TO BLAME. WHOSE DUMB IDEA WAS IT TO SWITCH DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME TO MARCH????? ARE YOU HIGH?????

Respectfully yours,

etc., etc. }
We have helped to remedy the bedtime difficulty by installing shades that do a so-so job at keeping out the sun. But last summer when the sun started to hang around and we only had old Levolor blinds, Ben brought home some Enormous Sized poster board type things to stick in the windows and help block out the sun.

One had information on the state of Utah (my home sweet home, home of a lot of jello consumption, or so they say) the other was filled information on the state of Kansas. I took one look over the visual presentation and pulled off the card with the Kansas state motto.

Ad Astra Per Astrum it said.
Which apparently means (in Latin is my guess) To The Stars Through Difficulty.

Which basically sums up, at least once a week if not daily, how I feel about things. Things may get tough. But they must be worth it.

6 comments:

  1. Yes, I love seeing that quote at your house...and always wondered where it had come from. Great thought.

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  2. P.S. I'll give you five dollars if you send that letter...

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  3. That is a terrific state motto. I don't know if Ontario has a motto. Probably, I'm guessing.

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  4. I need to send the same letter!

    And that state motto is very wise. Maybe I should move to Kansas ;) !!

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  5. lol at your letter! it is pretty frustrating isn't it? of course i cannot argue with the importance of getting the extra hour of sleep in the fall.

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  6. As if bedtime isn't enough of a struggle without the extra daylight in the evenings! Not to mention that the baby has been getting up an hour early since day light savings, too. Our congressmen apparently don't have young children at home!

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