Every man a king......

....and every woman a queen.

Yes, ma'am. Today, everyone's royalty. If you doubt it -- just look around. Is there anyone not adorned with at least one strand of jewels?

Today our world sparkles with beads, beads, and more beads. Beads glistening on cars and from trees. Beads clicking on Fido and Fluffy as they prance by struttin' their stuff.

Tomorrow it will all be over. But, never fear. For many months to come, all you'll need to do is look up as you walk or drive along and there's a good chance you'll spot a sparkling treasure dangling from a tree branch or a light post. The sparkle of a stray strand of pearls or emerals or rubies that were thrown too high for up-stretched hands to catch at the time.

And....no one will bother to retrieve the strand of precious stones. They will leave them in place for all who pass by to enjoy and remember. Remember that next year it'll happen all over again.

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!