In my neighborhood, there is a house with an immaculate yard, and nearly perfect front lawn. Lush and green, it looks like carpet. Within this house, lives an older couple, I’m guessing mid to late 70’s. They keep things neat and clean around there. Sometimes, on nice days, they open the garage door and move some lawn chairs right up to the edge. Not actually out on the driveway, but still inside the garage, they sit and watch the traffic go by. Recently, they’ve added a new feature to their shag carpet lawn, which I call Placemat Platitudes.

It started out with what looked like a golf club stuck in the ground, with a piece of cardboard attached. On the cardboard was pasted an 11×17 piece of paper, with a platitude printed on it in red and green. It looked like a placemat from an Italian restaurant. As I was driving by, it looked to me that the whole thing, the cardboard and the placemat, had been wrapped in plastic to protect it from the elements. A couple of weeks went by, the platitudes would change every couple of days. Soon the stick in the ground was upgraded for a small easel. I meant to blog about it at the time, but something more interesting always came up.

But then, the Placemat Platitudes went away, and I was sad. I’d lost my chance to share them with you. I remember some of the quotes and sentiments that were displayed. My faovrite was a quote from Abraham Lincoln.

“The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”

I found it ironic. You know… considering his death. There were others, something about Fate choosing your Family, but YOU chose your Friends. I wish I had written them down. Well good news!! They are back! Maybe by popular request, I do not know. And this one is a doozy of brilliance!

“I learn from my misteaks.”

Get it? mis-steaks! Cuz, you see, it’s spelled wrong and… oh, nevermind.