thanksgiving

There are so many things to be thankful for; I'm still giving thanks!
We had leftovers from the holiday meal... I love leftovers!  Now, how do we deal with an abundance of gratitude?  The Lord has brought some really amazing people into this world!  It is a boost to see the comments you leave.  Friends, I need to tell God how I feel about you, and I want you to know as well, that you mean a lot to me.

mr. dave

Dear Friends, things have been crazy-busy lately! I miss our regular visits.

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Mr. Dave has done some clever things with his photography. First, he takes pictures of animals at the zoo or on a nature hike. Then, he prints them with Scripture or an encouraging saying. Then he sells them at a very reasonable price. If you buy these prints at a craft show, you'll get it framed, too. He doesn't get bogged down in high tech stuff or fancy equipment. We frequently tell each other stories about a recently captured image.

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He lives in the area. Last week, I had the chance to snap his portrait, and he gave me permission to show one of his pics. Friends, he is a man of excellent moral fiber and a likeable, genuine simplicity. (I tend to be more... complex. By that I mean that I am a meddler, and I am drawn to exploring the details. If I think something is broken, I can't resist the urge to try to fix it. It's terribly annoying; I know.) He is a Christian with a quiet spirit who models an approachable meekness. It is good to know people like that.

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Sad news came in today, Folks. Mr. Dave's dog died. I imagine this is a difficult pill to swallow. Please remember Dave in your prayers.

alan haymaker

Downcast and heavy hearted, I am processing some shocking information.

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I drove to work Monday morning, knowing that the roads were slippery on account of new snow, but I took my time. I arrived to work twenty minutes late, which is very unusual for me, but they allow a "soft start" on days with heavy snow. That means we are allowed to take our time to get in safely, and we can make up the time later.

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The snow was heavy and the streets were slushy, but there was beauty all around. In the evening, I had to pull over a few times to set up a tripod and take pictures.

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Today I learned that yesterday morning's snow took the life of a friend of mine. He was a Chicago Police sergeant, responding to a burglary in the early morning.

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http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/02/accident-closes-southbound-lanes-of-lake-shore.html

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He was a fellow home schooler... that's how I knew him. He worked hard to keep people safe, and today he is safe in the presence of Christ. Still, I find myself weeping... it was too soon. It hurts to know he's gone. I can't even imagine how his wife and kids feel.

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All of the sudden, I find myself wishing yesterday's snow would just melt. It is not pretty to me any more. Instead, I want rain. Lots of rain to rinse these present landscapes, refresh my heart, and hide the tears. Please... let it rain.

fresh flowers and old friends

[I hope Mrs. Craver doesn't mind that I use some of her flowers to tell a story that does not relate to her.]

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I began my new life in Christ over twenty years ago, and there were big changes that occurred in my life. Two noticeable things we noticed immediately were that I stopped using cuss words, and I lost contact with my best friends. It was easy to let go of cussing; I simply began using appropriate, specific words instead of generic expletives. It was difficult to lose my friends, though.

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We used to go to Oak Street Beach on Sundays. One Sunday I went to church instead. That was the day of my conversion experience. Later, I asked the fellas if we could switch the beach day to Saturday, because I wanted to start going to church. We have barely spoken with each other since then. That was July of 1986. One of the guys came to my wedding eighteen months later, and I was thrilled that he showed up. Still, I was not part of our little group any more, and I miss them.

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Now I'm looking at these flowers and contemplating faded friendships. Let's face it. Flowers will fade, and sometimes friendships do, too.

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Facebook has enabled me to reconnect with a few key people from the past. It has been suggested that we have a get together... a reunion of this small band of pals that used to be so close.

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And I'm afraid. (sigh) I am afraid that when we get together, we will find that we cannot just pick up where we left off. I'm afraid that when we meet, we will see each other, not in our former glory, but as faded flowers that have lost their appeal.

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Then again, things may be different. I may encounter men who can appreciate that we pursued different dreams, savor the memories of days gone by, and... well... just maybe... these old pals can be new pals, too

enjoying one another

Sunday's message was about the "one another" passages from Scripture. In good keeping with the theme, some of us got together ...with one another and shared a meal. In truth, the meal was planned before we heard the message, but don't hold that against us. ;-)

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A new charcoal grill and an old (refurbished) gas grill side-by-side provided an easy way to control cooking temperatures, appealing sear marks, and smokey flavor. To anybody who didn't know any better, it probably looked like I knew what I was doing. The food turned out better than anything I have grilled before. That is to say, our guests at hamburgers and chicken breasts, not hockey pucks and burnt offerings. It was nice to keep the heat (from cooking) outside, and my wife could sit in the cool living room, visiting instead of working.

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Most of all, it was a treat to spend time with people we love. If you've never done so, I'd highly recommend checking out the 50+ passages where God's Word instructs us on how to treat "one another."

Jiko

The dog's name is "Jiko." It's pronounced GEE-koh. Yes, that's an unusual name. I think my daughter named it after an African restaurant in Disney's Epcot. They took this dog in from a shelter before they had a place that allowed pets. We were to doggy-sit in the mean-time. We ended up having the dog for a year. I grew quite attached. The whole family loved her. She's in Florida now, with my daughter and son-in-law. I expected that we would be seeing this pup more, but it was not to be. I got to spend a couple hours at their apartment, and all the rest of the time, I've been at my parents' home near Orlando.

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When I walked into their apartment, I wasn't sure how the dog was going to respond. It's been forever since we gave the dog back, so I prepared myself in case she did not recognize me, and I had to make a slow re-introduction. Long story short, she licked my face entirely clean, and when I sat at the couch, she plopped herself down comfortably right at my feet. Why can't people be like that, eh?

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I'm looking forward to getting back home, and seeing all the other pets. We virtually have a zoo at home, with all the hamsters and fish, and dog and cat. There are a few people I really like to hang out with, too. Maybe I'll lick their faces and sit at their feet, just to let them know how much I missed them.

hoppin' good times

The big news this weekend was soccer. The team my buddy and I coach, on which both of us have children who play... we won our first game!!! Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures.

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The rest of this weekend was crammed with all kinds of good stuff. Saturday afternoon, we went to a cookout at a friend's house. These guys really know how to throw a party. The mix of people was absolutely delightful. There were a few new faces from his family and neighbor friends... Loved it! After eating waaaay too much, and a season of friendly chatter, the siren song of their pond overcame any sense of social graces. I pulled the fishing tackle out of my van, and extended our party to the edge of the water. The fish barely nibbled. Mostly I just caught glares from the local frogs.

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One coworker tells me that the Asian way of eating is, how shall I call it? More "communal?" Everybody shares all the stuff in the middle of the table. I think I would prefer eating that way. If we did, I could have sampled a little of this, and a little of that, without feeling like I had to polish off a whole cheeseburger by myself between other savory morcels. The food was terrific. I'll say it again; this guy really knows how to throw a party!

ain't they grand?

These are some of my buds. Most of our children are close in age, and we have seen the joys and struggles of our fellow parents here. I'm happy with how our kids are turning out, and yet I think I understand why some animals eat their young.

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It is written that children are a gift from God. That is certainly true, but my personal opinion is that grandchildren must be a reward for not giving up when our children drive us to the edge of insanity.

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The other night, we picked up someone else's baby, and I didn't mind at all that she soaked my collar and sleeves in baby drool. I held this tiny girl and didn't want to put her down. I would do just about anything, just to make her smile... or laugh. Oh, a baby's laugh! Is there anything in the world that can compare?!

vampire daddy

A friend took this shot of me biting my daughter's hand at a picnic. You see, at home, we don't like to use the paddle when kids behave badly; that's so 1950's. Here, she swiped the cap right off my head and refused to let it go. So I bit her.

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Lest you begin accusing me of being too harsh, let me say something in my defense. Do you know how many times she swiped my cap after that? A bunch of times, actually. She is just a twisted little nut and that's all there is to it. But that's not my point.

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(My original point was supposed to be that my friend can go to picasa.google.com and use that to edit and store photos.)

gettin' aLAWNg

Comparing your site to a room in your house, which room would it be? LL Barkat lets us hang out in her living room, and Charity sees us in her kitchen. For me, it's probably my front yard.

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I enjoy standing in the grass with my neighbors, friends and relatives, talking about whatever. I prefer to have a conversation out there, than even inside the house or in the backyard.

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At home, I have experienced a certain unspoken etiquette about front-yard conversations. We can discuss all kinds of things, but I have never had a heavy front-yard debate. Most of the discussion is light, but that does not necessarily exclude profound exchanges. In fact, right there, in my driveway, one of my neighbors prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

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Yeah, this blog reminds me of my front lawn. Simple, neat, not argumentative, but casual and occasionally (albeit rarely) profound.

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Only two people have ever provoked me to use the delete comment option in the blog. Er... it doesn't work quite like that out front, though. But yes, in case you're wondering, I have had conversations in both places where someone and I disagreed and we were still able to keep things civil and polite.

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Image by... me! (That's my real house.)

real people

Mark Goodyear came up from Texas and I got a chance to say Howdy. This picture makes him look tall, but he is actually quite tiny. You can't really tell, but in this photo, I have him hoisted up on my shoulder.

It would have been fun to do something absolutely mindless, like a snowball fight, but this time of year, we're fresh out of snow. Perhaps another time.

I was a little starstruck and couldn't think of much to say at the time. I just held the camera, and he said okay.

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Looky-here! Stacey is a local friend, she's seated at the far right. The gal in the middle is Jennw/2N's. She was kind enough to drop by when she passed through town from the East coast.

I can't recall whether I have ever thrown a snowball at Stacey, but if I haven't, it's just a matter of time. Ahh, good times.

It looks deceptively bright outside, doesn't it? I found a spot to take the picture where they don't use any chemicals on their lawn whatsoever. Unfortunately, it's right next to a nuclear waste management facility, and all of the pictures turn out with a certain, enigmatic intensity about them.

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Anyway, it was interesting to hang out with real live people. I didn't have much time to spend thinking about what to say, then deleting and rewriting my comments. Thanks for visiting!