So, the other day, the subject of Jim Henson came up.

Jim Henson was my HERO growing up.  OHMYGAH, I respected that man as if he walked on water and changed water into wine.  The Muppets were my constant companion growing up, I knew all the verses to "It’s Not Easy (Bein’ Green)" AND "Rainbow Connection", and somehow, those felt covered people could make me cry big ole crocodile tears.. while I had little to no compassion for flesh-and-blood heroes.  I still consider "Follow That Bird" to be one of the most heart-wrenching tales ever put on film.

So we were talking about the loss of Jim Henson, and how the Muppets were never quite the same.

Which brought up Mel Blanc, another great that we lost in our childhoods.  I still remember the print "Speechless", done for in memorium, which featured all of the characters that he voiced, staring — nay, mourning — around an empty spotlight containing a microphone.  He brought us so much.

We then talked about Charles Schultz, another great that recently passed.  When I was in Minneapolis, I had the joy of seeing the many large Peanuts statues around town, and visiting Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America.  Snoopy was another tear-jerker in our household.  "Snoopy Come Home" was the only time we ever saw emotion from a stoic young Jenni.  And I mean, we thought she had hobbled her own legs, her sobs were so deep and moving.. nope, Snoopy just wouldn’t go home.

Then I asked, "So what great do we have now?  Who has been so innovative during our lifetime?"

He said, "The guy who draws ‘Garfield’.. he’s still around."

He sent me this, this morning.

But aside from all this.. who will our nation mourn for all they’ve brought to us?