Alone.
Yet, not.
Large families.
There are 33 people on the wall. Kids, kids-of-heart, grandkids, Janet, myself.
There’s always something going on in a big family. Someone’s always around, nearby, or on the way.
Continue reading Clear SkiesOnce upon a time there was an explosion in a junkyard.
It all started with increasing nitrogen gases expelled from overheating debris in the hot summer sun.
It was epic! One of a kind! Never to be duplicated!
I can’t prove it, so just trust me, it was the PERFECT storm to create such a powerful explosion!
Continue reading Junkyard ExplosionSomeone posted our high school class picture from 40 years ago!
Forty. Years. Ago!
That’s how long Moses and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness!
A little over 300 of us, all in purple gowns, grabbed a diploma, walked across the stage, and waltzed into life.
When we graduated 40 years ago — Ronald Reagan was fresh on the job, the space shuttle had just made its maiden voyage, a new disease called AIDS would be announced two weeks after graduation, and two months after that, IBM would introduce something called a “personal computer”.
With the unbridled power of technology and social media, it’s been fun to “reconnect” with some I haven’t seen since graduation day.
Continue reading Forty Years AgoAs I write this, we’re on the plane home from a week of adventures.
It was late this past Sunday morning, traveling, Columbus, Indiana.
Janet and I were on our way to the Creation Science Museum in Kentucky, and then the Ark Encounter forty-five miles past that.
It was brunch time and we drove through downtown Columbus. We decided to grab something fast before heading on to Kentucky.
We like the “local flavor” of places, especially in rural areas, so when we spotted a hole in the wall diner near the town square, it seemed perfect.
Continue reading Jill’s DinerI found an old journal I wrote in college, one I haven’t read in years. Page by page, I re-introduced me to myself from things penciled years ago.
Below is a story that flooded back to memory. It was in a college town two days after graduation, 36 years ago today. I was staying the summer to work two jobs in town while almost every other college student moved back home.
Here’s my journal entry from Monday, May 20, 1985:
There’s usually no rhyme or reason when insomnia happens, except it’s at the most inconvenient times. I had a ton of work the next day and needed a good night’s sleep.
Even with the best of intentions, I didn’t hit the hay until Midnight. What seemed like a couple minutes later, my eyes popped open in the middle of a dream about a dolphin living in our swimming pool. The dolphin would jump and eat mosquitoes, which was good, but if you didn’t scratch its dorsal fin with a plastic back scratcher, it would bite your arm.
I know! What kind of weirdo dream is that?
Squinting, it’s only 1:15 AM, so I roll over in bed. Deep breath. Another, and another. Roll on the other side. Nothing.
I fluff up the pillow a little and lay comatose between sleep and awake. A few minutes later I wake up again thinking it’s been hours. Ugh, uh. 1:35 AM. Continue reading Insomnia
Dear Addie K,
You burst into life a year and half ago! At first, we loved you solely on whose you were, but now we love you because of who you are. Your first 1 1/2 years of life have gone by way too fast!
Life is like that. Before you know it, you’ll be looking back and remembering in sepia toned colors.
Seek wisdom, Addie. When you look back, you’ll smile at the vibrant, bright memories that wisdom can bring!
Continue reading Dear Addie K,Dad gummit, it’s just not right!
Recently, almost every day I go to the gym at lunch I end up complaining about a female attendant in the men’s locker room.
It’s frustrating! No. It’s way past that. It’s rocket blast to Mars more irritating!
There are other men who rush in, change like I do, exercise, change back, and hurry to get back to work during the lunch hour. It’s a cattle call time.
Yet that’s exactly when she puts out her little yellow sign saying a female attendant is cleaning the men’s locker room.
The first time I saw her in the locker room, I was already down to my red and green plaid boxers. Ain’t nobody but me needs to know I was in the Christmas spirit!
Continue reading A Little Privacy, Please!It’s every grandparent’s dream!
“Would y’all mind keeping the boys for the weekend while we go out of town?”
YES!
And so it came to be that two male fledglings stayed with PawPaw and JJ last weekend.
Easton ages in for the Terrible Twos at 2 years 9 months, and Asher times in as a Light Weight at only 3 1/2 months old.
Janet likes babies, but they intimidate me like I was a lost kitten in the dog pound. I like it when they can say what’s wrong, like Easton, so it was perfect!
When my daughter and son-in-law dropped them off, they were semi-apologetic.
“Hey! We’re no rookies! Besides, they’re both as laid back of kids that there are.”
My son-in-law shook his head. My daughter raised an eye brow with a smile, “Well, wait till nighttime”.
Psft! We got this!
Nighttime came.
Easton laid down on a pallet in our room and was out like a light!
Asher was in a pack-n-play. He fell asleep right on que after his 8:30 PM bottle.
Good grief! How much easier can it get?
However, we should’ve gone to bed then, right then! Instead, we laid down about 10:00ish.
His solid white beard was perfectly trimmed. Occasionally, when he was trying to describe something, he’d take off his company cap and run his fingers through his full, thick head of equally white hair. It was a stark contrast to his deep black, wire-rim glasses.
Today’s his last day on the job. He’s been preparing a long time for retirement, and now, it’s here.
As we all went through the day, I’d stop by and say things to acknowledge him.
“You know, this is the last 9:15 AM at work in your career”.
He stayed busy, in thanks partly to a number of phone calls from folks he’d worked with. He said, “I’ve just been really surprised by how many nice things folks have said to me.”
I nodded my head.
RabBits 