Sunday, September 23, 2012

And the road calls...

Amy and I recently took a two week road trip in the eastern United States and into Canada to visit family, friends and to renew friendships.  With all the talk of high gas prices and Americans not wanting to travel, we decided this was the perfect time to travel (HA!).  As is my nerdy habit I always review the trip once we get back to see how we spent the money and if we stayed within our budget.  I used to call this "performing the autopsy" but Amy did not care for this. She says it sounds like we had a bad trip and did not enjoy ourselves.  On the contrary, we had a blast!  We had a lot of conversation about retirement and the new stages of life we are going into.  With her already being retired she is already seeing what it is partially like.  So, until I come up with a better term I'll call it "The Vacation In Review".

We left our home on Monday, September 3, 2012 and traveled through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada.  We had lots on meals out (obviously) and lots to time together.  We had a lot of time to talk and laugh together.  Bottom line: together.  We traveled 3,902.40 miles through eight states and one Canadian Province in 13 days.

Our first destination was to Mt. Joliet, Tennessee, where we met Ron and Becky Goodman.  Ron performed our wedding ceremony in 1976.  Over the years we have kept in contact through friends and the occassional visit in the fall at Camp Bandina in the Texas Hill Country.  This year Ron could not make it to Texas and as we were planning a trip to the east in September we asked to meet them at their house.  They agreed, and we had a great evening of conversation and catching up.  We were also able to see their daughter, Shantelle, who we used to babysit when we were in college.  Ron and Becky were examples to us of a Christian marriage.  I bought my first car (1974 orange Chevrolet Vega) from Ron.  They are some of those people who you may not see often but they are more often in our thoughts.

Next, on the way to Ohio, we stopped at The Hermitage, the late President Andrew Jackson's home.  It was beautiful and well kept.  We spent far too short a time there and plan to go back again some time.

In Ohio we stopped at Steve and Dianne Connell's house for about three days.  Steve and I have been friends since we first met in 6th grade at Spring Woods Junior High School in Houston.  We met Dianne in 1976 when Steve brought her to Texas to meet his family and us.  Mostly we just enjoyed each other's company.  It was our first trip their house and will not be the last.  We fell in love with their house.  It was warm and welcoming and easy to feel comfortable in.  While there we visited my birth-mother's grave and the graves of other relatives at Spring Grove Cemetery.  We enjoyed a Reds/Astros ballgame and, surprisingly, the Astros won!  Also, thanks to the Astros striking out 11 times in the game we also were able to enjoy a free personal pizza and a scoop of ice cream.  We were also able to visit old friends, the Holbrooks, and their daughter, Sylvia.  Betty Holbrook was a childhood friend of my birth-mother, Margaret Kersting.  They were close until Margaret's death in 1959 from cancer.  The reunion was fun.  We met at the assisted living facility where they live.  We had planned to have dinner together and, much to Betty's chagrin, breakfast was served for dinner.  She was not happy but we were fine with that.  Afterwards, on a whim, we stopped by the house of my godmother, Mickey Sellens.  We were not sure what to expect as we had not had contact with her since 1977.  Needless to say, she was more than a little surprised.  In fact, Amy and I were concerned she may pass out once I told her who I was.  She was gracious and welcoming.  The visit was way too short so we will need to see her again sometime.

Our trip continued to to Cleveland and Painesville, Ohio.  My dad was born in Painesville and his family lived and stayed in the Cleveland/Painesville/Ashtabula area of the state.  They had moved here from Pennsylvania.  We stopped by my great aunt's houses and the train station in Painesville where my brother, Bruce, and I used to spend hours while on vacation.  We took pictures and were able to visit with my Aunt Jenny's neice who currently lives in Aunt Lenora and Sadie's house.  She has done a wonderful job of sprucing up the place and making it more lovely than it was when family lived there.  My great aunts would approve, I think.  She is going to send us a house history that she did on the two houses.  It will be interesting to read once it is received.

While there we visited several area cemeteries paying respects to loved ones and doing a little genealogy work.  We also reunited with my cousin David and his wife, Lynn.  We had a great dinner and enjoyed the short time together.  We will plan to come back and visit again ... and to stay in touch better than we have in the past.

From there we went to Niagra Falls in Ontario, Canada.  It was very commercial and built up but it was lovely.  Lots of green spaces and blooming flowers.  Our first impression of the falls was that it was not very loud.  We were expecting this IMAX, booming noice ... but no.  It was just water going over the edges of the falls.  We went to several attractions: The Fury of the Falls, Journey Beneath the Falls, the White Water Walk and the Maid of the Mist.  The Maid of the Mist was the best.  Written words cannot descibe it.  It must be experienced to be enjoyed.  We ate at several local places but we had one favorite place.  We had great wood-fired pizza at Antica.  The only location for this restaurant is at Niagra on the Canadian side ... have to go back!

This worst part of the trip was ... the trip.  Amy stumbled over an uneven part in the sidewalk, fell and cut her head.  We ended up in a Canadian hospital.  The ambulance crew, who were very nice and helpful, did not offer and we did not think about going to the American side to an American hospital.  Oh, well ... lesson learned for next time!  Hope there's not a next time.  She was fine outside of a cut that needed three stitches and a bruised ego.

Finally, we went to West Virgina to see Jackie Dakan.  We first met her when she and her family moved to Pleasanton several years ago.  Things have changed for her and we were glad to see her happy, healthy and in a new relationship.  She will be married again in October 20.  She and her fiance will be in our thoughts and prayers as they begin their lives together.  If they are ever our way they will have a place to stay.

We then retuned home.  We did not really want to come back but it was good to be home.  You know how it is while on vacation.

Anyway, here are a few facts and additional memories from the trip.  There are many more but for now these are at the top of the list.

We played the license Plate Game:
43 states
5 Canadian Provinces
4 Mexican states

6 hotel rooms

Gasoline:
131.941 gallons of gas
$494.80
Most paid per gallon - $3.99
Least paid per gallon - $3.59
Average paid per gallon - $3.76

Mileage:
Miles traveled - 3,902.40
Average miles per gallon - 29.58

Sweetest Somethings - Richard's Maple Products, Chardon, Ohio

Best Win/Win - Astros beat the Reds and we still get pizza and ice cream

Least Chatty Person - Canadian customs officer entering Canada
Most Chatty Person - Canadain customs officer leaving Canada

Least Favorite Experience - Amy tripping and ending up in the hospital
Experience With Socialized Medicine - Let's not go there

Most Awesome Experience - Maid of the Mist, Niagara Falls, Canada

Most Unusual Town Name - Bucksnort, Tennessee
Laziest Town Name - Quiet Dell, West Virginia

Best Waitress - Lexington, Kentucky
Most Helpful Waitress - Lexington, Kentucky

Most Unusual After Dinner Offer - "Coffee, tea, a traveler (to go cup), shot of bourbon?"

Best Local Food - Kentucky Brown Grill, Lexington, Kentucky

Old Friends/New Friends - Jackie Dakan/John Shepherd

Most Impulsive Stop - The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee

Longest and Most Nerve Wracking Drive - 22 miles, Highway 19, Pine Grove, West Virginia

Most welcome sight - Texas flag flying at the Connell's house, Cincinnati, Ohio

Best Reunion Dinner - David and Lynn LaMore, Cleveland, Ohio

Nicest Hotel - Double Tree Hilton, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Best Toll Road (if there can be such) - New York Thruway, $3.15 for 80 miles

Sweetest Visit - Mickie Sellens-Gibbs, Mason, Ohio

First Time Outside Of The Country Together - Canada
Best Appearance of Speed - 110 KPH/ 70 MPH, Canada

Texas Town Names Seen In Other States (in no particular order) - Sonora, Houston, Cleveland, Columbus, Midway, Jacksonville, Paris, Moscow, Palestine, Georgetown, Mason, Medina, Commerce, Lancaster, Rowlett, LaGrange, Deer Park, Montgomery, London, Midland, Dublin

Most Unexpected Surprise - Coming home to find 5 inches in the rain gauge followed by an additional 2 1/4 inches that night and the next day

Priceless - two uninterrupted weeks with my bride of almost 36 1/2 years




Friday, August 06, 2010

In the dark there is solitude

As I sit on the beach in the dark, I stare at the stars and planets as they make their appearance. The blue sky of the day slowly gives way to the dark of the night revealing what has been hidden from our sight. It reveals the true nature of what is there. Only the physics of the atmosphere hide God's rich glory during the daytime. Now as I look and appreciate what is there, I realize what a marvelous gift the heavens are. I feel so small and yet so much a part of something bigger than I am.

It is as though I am the only member of the audience for this performance that is unfolding all around me.

People still out on the beach do not see me sitting there by myself. They go about their business oblivious to me. They walk literally within yards of me without ever seeing me or acknowleging my presence. On the one hand it is kind of cool to be left alone with my thoughts. It is a unique experience to be able to observe this corner of God's creation without being disturbed. I am left to my own devices for a time.

Wanting to share this with my daughters I am able to text them without the distraction of a phone call and having to talk. There is nothing really wrong with talking but I am learning the value of texting. It does provide a certain quietness and the opportunity of sharing without disturbing the event itself. I can still concentrate on and soak in my surroundings.

Finally, it is late and texting is finished. The cell phone is off. No Ipod. No cell phone. No computer. No internet. No society.

Just me and my thoughts. Just me and the moon doing what it has done for thousands of years. Just me enjoying what God has created.

Just me ...

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Canaverals' Moon

There is something special about watching the moon rise near where man first began his journey to visit our nearest neighbor.

The quiet if the beach is amazing. Once you cross the dunes from "civilization" you hear nothing but the sound of nature at it's best. The sounds of the days last visitors to the beach are becoming more quiet. Though people still run up and down the beach, the sounds of fun in the water become less and less and the glow of flashlights and cell phones slowly fade.

In the dark there is solitude.

You can see the waves as they break on the shore. As the waters meet the beach several yards offshore they begin to foam and develop white lines of breakers that are clearly visible in the dark. There are four distinct lines of breakers moving onshore. As they break the waves move the white foam from left to right in the surf. Sometimes they break from right to left. And, sometimes they break from the opposite directions, seeming to meet in the middle with a soft 'slap.'

Every minute or so there appears to be absolute silence between the breaking of the waves before the gentle roar returns.

The stars that come out after sunset shine with all the power God gave them. Venus, Saturn, Mercury and Mars join the show tonight. They are beautiful. Stars twinkle and plants shine steadily as they appear one at a time. As the glow of the days sun slowly sinks below the western horizon, the heat of the day gives way to the cool breeze of the evening.

It begins with a soft, grey glow in the clouds near the horizon. The glow is almost imaginary at first but becomes more noticable and looks like a smokey 'V' in the clouds. Even though there are no noticeable clouds in the evening sky the humidity in the atmosphere gives the appearance of smoke in the air.

Then...

There is a small orange dot on the horizon. It slowly grows to a shimmering orange glow, not really defined yet as anything specific. The heat and the dust in the sky color the scene. Quickly it becomes a partial orb slightly reflecting itself on the water. It is the color of orange/brown dust as it fully rises above the distant horizon. There begins another pale reflection on the ocean beginning at the horizon, slowly creeping towards the beach. This reflected light becomes more noticable as the moon rises higher and higher into the sky.

The smoky appearance in the sky gives way to a glow similar to the corona surrounding the sun in a total eclipse. As the moon continues to rise the relection on the water below continues to creep toward the beach. The reflection is the same color as the moon that has changed now to a more distinct orange. The water is more noticable and almost seems to be flowing from right to left, from south to north. The space below the moon becomes very dark, almost as if it were sitting on a pedestal. The moon with its' 'corona,' its' dark pedestal and the glow on the water give the appearance of a monument of sorts.

The higher it rises into the sky the lighter it becomes changing the color of the accompanying scene. The age old trick of covering the moon with your thumb it irresistable. There is room to spare.

You sit and gaze at the scene for awhile and realize this happens every night somewhere on the planet. Others are just as amazed as you are by the sight. Though the seasons and settings of each rising may be different and cultures may view it differently, the occassion remains the same. I am awestruck and could stay here for hours.

But for me...

There is something special about watching the moon rise over this place.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Take a deep breath in ... and hold it ...

It is just amazing how one thing can overwhelm your life. The sad part is that we do not really recognize it happening at the time. Once the situation settles out things become so much more clear.

That is what happened with me and work. Things have been really hectic but the dust is beginning to settle a bit. Maybe it was the start of the new year. Maybe it was a renewed positive attitude within my self. Maybe it was Amy's medical situations becoming less obtrusive in our lives. For whatever reason, life seems a bit less 'in your face' ...

It's like the first breath of cold, clear air on a winters morning. The stars seem a bit more sharp, clear and inviting.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

This Old House *

* Not the PBS program

After much delay and trying of patience, our office is expanding over into the other half of our building. Population-wise the office is the largest in the judicial district that we serve. As such the employees who work in our office have literally been on top of each other for quite a few months. Tempers have flared and patience has been tried during this time of having 9 people working in a space designed for lmuch ess than that number. While the officers have their own offices, the secretaries do not have their own defined work space.

Even while it has been cramped we have managaed to remain civil. Even on court dates when there are new intakes to do and alot of extra activity going on we have managed to remain above board and have managed a degree of decorum. I don't mean to make it sound as though we are at each other's throats, but it has been trying at times.

Moving to the other half of the building means we double our space. We have extra offices to move into and to utilize. The secretaries will be more on their own and will have extra room to spread out. We now have two bathrooms instead of one. We also have room for a waiting room in the office. Up until now defendants have had to sit on the front porch waiting to be called in for their appointments. Not really so bad unless the weather is extremely cold, really hot or rainy. Fortunately, we have not had to deal with snow. We will have extra rooms for meetings, informal hearings and to use for auditors and the likes.

So, with a fresh coat of paint and cleaning of the carpets we move in. It is amazing what improvements can be made with just a relatively simple outward change. However, what is important is the change from what was previously going on in that half of the building. Basically nothing! The juvenile offices were there but they were gone and out of the office more often than not. Their duties just did not require them to be in the office too often.

So often this is just like our lives. We make a change for ourselves in who we are and what we do. But is the change only cosmetic? A friend told me an old adage one time . . . Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes all the way to the bone. So true.

When we make changes in who we appear to be it is so much easier to maintain tha change once we have incorporated the change into who we are and who we want to be. People can tell pretty quick if the change in our lives is real or if it is just a sham. What we do in our lives usually says more about us that we can sometimes describe. People ususally don't care how we look but more have we act and how we live. As does God. What we do in His name means more to others than words can express. A life lived in harmony with His Word is a life of fulfillment and service beyond anything we can do.

There is an old gospel song. I'm not sure of the title of the song but it speaks of a house being old, run down and tired. At first people try to perk it up with a fresh coat of paint and by cleaning the windows. But it is soon discovered that the house itself is empty and in need of someone to live in it. Our lives will be fuller if we allow the spirit of God to live in us and work within us to fulfill His will in our lives.

May we begin each day with the idea that we are the temple of God and that we go out into the world daily to seek and to serve and to fulfill.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

A Purpose Driven Life *

* with partial thanks to Rick Warren

I have been thinking a bit lately about the life we, as Christians, live. We are so lucky to have a future off almost unimaginable beauty waiting for us. We presently live a life that is beyond any value we could place on it. We have been truly blessed.

After the discussion we had at breakfast this morning I am again reminded of the value of this life. This is not something that was just handed to us by God. Yes, it is a gift, and one that we have to reach for, accept and use. But it is one that we have to grow up into. If it were just laid out for us, what would be the value of that gift. As with any present, there has to be a time of anticipation, a time of discovery, a time of learning and a time of experience. There, eventually, also has to be a time of ownership of the gift. In otherwords, we must grow into the experience of the gift.

The greatest part of the gift of this life is the 'purpose' with which we live. Our purpose is to be good God-centered examples for others to see and, hopefully, to follow. The fulfillment of that purpose, the 'intent' with which we live, is to try and persuade men to follow, not us, but Jesus and our Father God. As Ray reminds us frequently, the parable of the soils tells us that the majority of those who are given the information for life will not follow. But that does not mean we stop being examples. It is only through persistence that we can grow into the examples that Christ would have us be.

Through persistence we can grow a "harvest of righteousness".

Monday, July 02, 2007

Anticipation (Not The Catsup)

About two weeks ago, my supervisor told me that me wants to talk to me about something.

The ususal order of things around here is that the supervisor just shows up and takes care of what needs to be taken care of. This is usually done without a whole lot of fanfare and it's usually no big deal. However, when someone calls and says they want to talk to you and then tell you they'll be here . . . that is another story. And then when they say they'll be here "sometime" today, tomorrow or on a given day and they don't show up or keep moving the "sometime" . . . well, that tends to work on your nerves a bit. I will admit to a bit of apprehension though I try not to dwell on it too much. I feel that if it were really that important he would have been here sooner. So it can't be that urgent, can it?

Either way, please pray that things aren't that bad as I'm making them out to be in my mind and that I can handle whatever may be coming my way . . . if anything. I tend to make a mountain out of a molehill in these sort of things. I tend to go through all kinds of scenarios in these types of situations getting ready and being prepared for whatever may come. I will just "prepare for the worst and hope for the best."