I may not have kids of “my own” but I have about a dozen or so that I claim.  Nieces, nephews, and children of special friends.  I feel a great sense of joy whenever I am around them and I do not hesitate to know why:  I am one of the biggest kids, myself.  Spirited kids to the anti-social teenager I know all kinds and find something remarkable in them all:  particularly, the anti-social teenager.  Just last night, we shared an email conversation and I marveled at his wisdom (?) NO WAY! WISDOM?! This is one post that I hope he does not read.  Or maybe I do in order to draw out another possible lurker.  I keep telling him that he should really join us on tangents and share some of the wit and wisdom that  a 14 year old young man has but… “Not yet.”  I know another teenage junior high girl who seems to have security issues.  I can certainly relate… 6th-8th grade was NOT the best of times.

There are also the “tween”agers.  WOW… so wise and mature.  I was never like that!

Younger children just may have an even bigger influence on me… especially some of those more energetic, high-spirited ones.  They really take you back.  Playful, always the center of attention, carefree.  Sounds like some bigger kids to me 😉  At times, you have to be on guard and know when to say when.  Sometimes difficult to say and to put into motion but creativity has its place.  Remembering what it was like to be a kid may make me appear to be a push over, but, eh.

Finally, the BIG GUY who will have a HUGE place in my heart quite possibly indefinitely.  Born the day after my birthday nearly 2 years ago and I got to visit at the hospital and help prepare for his homecoming.  I am his biggest fan!

I am so blessed to know so many kids in all phases of development.  And the best thing, at this point?  You can take them home (not your own) when you are done with them!

My wife had an amazing opportunity to do something uber-fun with our two oldest daughters this evening…  I’m not going to spoil her chance to share it with you, so you will have to wait on the details.  But, the point is that she is not home tonight.  It is just me and “the littles” (Beeber and Disney).  And, boy, do I miss her!

I miss the kids too, but it is different.  The late-nights are our exclusive time together where we get to wind down from the day and just enjoy being together.  It is my favorite part of the day!  Does that make me a bad daddy?

Anyhow, her not being here tonight just leaves me feeling so empty and lonely.  I’ve tried a bunch of things to fill the void — playing football, doing chores, watching TV, working — and, finally…  BLOGGING!  And, you know if I am BLOGGING something must really be up!!

“The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ ” Genesis 2:18

I have so much respect and admiration for my friend John (who must just find this post pathetic).  His strength continues to be an inspiration for me throughout much of my life.  I did get to share dinner with him which was just awesome!  But still, I miss Lisa dearly!

I find myself doodling little hearts with “Lisa” in them and “I love Lisa” everywhere…  You know, like a 8th grade girl with a crush would do — eech!  Is this normal?  What is wrong with me!?

Ok…  I am going to try and get to bed before I further embarrass myself.

_________LisaLisa____________LisaLisaL
______LisaLisaLisaLi_______LisaLisaLisaLisa
____LisaLisaLisaLisaLis___LisaLisaLisaLisaLis
___LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisa_______Lisa
__LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisa_________Lisa
_LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisa_______Lisa
_LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisa______L
LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisa__Lis
LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLis_L
LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaL
LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaL
_LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLis
__LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaL
____LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLi
______LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaL
_________LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLis
____________LisaLisaLisaLisaLisaLisaL
______________LisaLisaLisaLisaLisa
_________________LisaLisaLisaL
___________________LisaLisaL
_____________________LisaLi
______________________Lisa
_______________________Li

I don’t often listen to music using ear-buds or headphones. I usually enjoy a more encompassing sound from some good speakers. But, since I now have music loaded on my nook reader, and I hate the tinny little speakers on it, I am using some good ear-buds. Have you ever noticed that when wearing these, the singer and band are in the middle of your head? Interesting effect, at least for me. I could plug the nook into a set of speakers, but then it just isn’t as portable.

The past couple of mornings have been a bit chilly. Funny how just a few short weeks ago, we would have considered the same temperatures warm.

I’ve always wondered why food tastes better when you are in good company. Eating alone can make for bland meals, even when made exactly the same. For me, eating outside always makes the food taste better too. So great big picnics with good company should have the very best food.

Sometimes I like to say things just to get people to think. It works well with my children, and people I know well, but not so much with the greeters at Wal-Mart.

If you have a glowing blue-tooth device in your ear, and say something to someone, do they assume you are talking on the phone?

I remember liking so many different candies as a child. Why is it that most of them don’t satisfy in the same way? Of course I was eating all that stuff before I was introduced to ‘Good’ Chocolate. My taste in chocolate got expensive. But I still like Good and Plenty. 😉

Back in the summer of 1983, my future wife and I were trying to decide what music to have at our wedding. We picked a song that we both liked, and had some meaningful words. For years that song reminded us of our vows and our love for each other. Today when I hear that song, I can be brought to tears in one second and laughter from happy memories in the the next. I never know which will occur until they do.

There is another song from the same performer that reminds me of my relationship with my parents. Kind of puts life in perspective for me.

I’m not a fan of country music, and I’m not a fan of bars. So why is one of my favorite songs a country song about a bar?

Cub scout award for… video games??  Where was this award when I was in Cub scouts?  I would have aced this one easily.  Okay, there is some work involved, but still- video games?  Here’s the text from the official site:

Requirements

Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts may complete requirements in a family, den, pack, school, or community environment. Tiger Cubs must work with their parents or adult partners. Parents and partners do not earn loops or pins.

Belt Loop

Complete these three requirements:

1. Explain why it is important to have a rating system for video games. Check your video games to be sure they are right for your age.
2. With an adult, create a schedule for you to do things that includes your chores, homework, and video gaming. Do your best to follow this schedule.
3. Learn to play a new video game that is approved by your parent, guardian, or teacher.

Academics Pin

Earn the Video Games belt loop and complete five of the following requirements:

1. With your parents, create a plan to buy a video game that is right for your age group.
2. Compare two game systems (for example, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii, and so on). Explain some of the differences between the two. List good reasons to purchase or use a game system.
3. Play a video game with family members in a family tournament.
4. Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game.
5. List at least five tips that would help someone who was learning how to play your favorite video game.
6. Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.
7. Play a video game that will help you practice your math, spelling, or another skill that helps you in your schoolwork.
8. Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty.
9. With an adult’s supervision, install a gaming system.

As most of you know, I was really into gaming back in the day. I spent hours at arcades and played my Atari and Colecovision systems to death. Ah, the days…  Speaking of scouting, JustJ would be pleased to know that the boy scouts are embracing modern technology in Geocaching.  One article mentioned a merit badge, but so far what I read on their site talks more of the activity than earning a badge.  Click here and here.  Scratch what I just wrote- merit badge information can be had by clicking here.

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Oh, you probably want an update on that quiz.  Of the three that garnered the most guesses, one of them is correct.  The one with no guesses?  You are correct in that it is not us.  The other video was among the two with a single affirmative response.  So without further delay, the two videos featuring our choir (at least in audio in the case of one) are:

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1. They Didn’t Know

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/10678741 [/vimeo]

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6. Rise and Sing

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/10677420 [/vimeo]

Check out what the junior high kids do toward the end of the video-

I can name most of the boys from their time in 4th/5th grade, including

one who was in my cabin at camp two years ago.

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So, how did you do? 🙂

Two weeks ago, I received a letter to report for Jury Duty. That case did not make it to court, so I didn’t have to report.

Last week I got my second letter. Well, this time I do have to report for Jury Duty, but there is a chance I won’t get selected. I won’t know until I get there.

Last time I served on a jury was in the play that wouldn’t end. It seemed like most of my life, for a year, was taken up by the play “12 Angry Men”. I just hope the jury duty doesn’t seem like that.

Probably won’t blog too much in the next few days.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a venting complaint post about Walmart.  It seemed like every time I went there, they were changing around their prices in some way that added to their profits from my pocket – it was aggravating.  I got used to it, and I haven’t noticed anything new (or let it get to me anyway) for awhile.  Today after a very long day, I had to go to Walmart, and I actually left happy about THREE things!

1.  They had my shoes back!!  The black Brahma Bravos they haven’t carried for a  year!  It was enough to put a smile on my face and for me to give my cashier an earful about my quest for shoes.  I’ve been toiling over my shoe issue for about a year, and now I found the exact ones I wanted, for the price I wanted – YAY!!!  So tempted to buy two pair, just to put one away in case they decide to shoe-starve me again, but that would just be a waste of money…
2.  The whole reason I went to  Walmart in the first place was to find a snack for my daughter’s Kindergarten class.  Our turn to bring snack is tomorrow, and you are supposed to bring a snack that coincides with the letter they are learning about that week.  Our letter?  X – quite possibly the most difficult letter in the alphabet!  I’ve been pondering this one for a few weeks ever since the snack list came home, and I came up with nothing.  That’s why I had to make the last-minute trip to Walmart today, exhausted as I was.  So I went up and down a few aisles, searching for X snacks –  I had long since decided to settle on a snack with an X in it instead of one that started with X, so that made  it a bit easier.  Trying to also be budget conscious (there are about 20 kids in my daughter’s class), I boiled it down to 3 choices:  Trix, Chex Mix, or Stax potato chips.  Hmm, tough decision.  Of those, the cereal seemed the most healthy, although the Chex Mix had a double-x…  I could not decide.  But then again, I was up at 6:30 this morning to get to the middle school to attend a puberty talk with my daughter.  More on that later, aren’t you excited?  So I called my husband about the X snack – I was so tired, I just couldn’t figure it out.  He said to go with the Stax based on how much the kids would like it and the fact that it was the best value.  Fine.  No one ever said these had to be healthy snacks.
3.  I found a booster seat for under $15.  Ohio is one of the last states to pass that booster seat law –  you know, the one where kids under 8 years old or shorter than 4’9″ have to be in a booster seat?  Well, that would include two of our kids, and we had only 1 booster seat.  I think it’s a dumb law; sure they say it’s safer, but who funded the studies -Graco et al.?  I’m from the 80’s – you know, the era where we kids lay sprawling in the backs of the station wagons, free as birds, feeling safe as can be while our parents braved the Chicago expressways…  Me and everyone I played with in the back of our parents’ station wagons made it into adulthood just fine…  not that I’m saying it was safe, but I just spent $13 on a booster seat, so I deserve to go off a little.  But I expected to pay much more, so I was happy.  Besides, like I told Hubby, $13 is a heck of a lot cheaper than the $100+ ticket it would have cost had our kids not been in the booster.  And I have a question – what about adults who are under 4’9″?  Do they have to ride in a booster seat in Ohio?  You know what, I won’t go there – it’s rude 🙂

So, yeah.  Three reasons Walmart made me happy today; that’s unusual.  Maybe they’re messing with my brain – I had 5 items on my list and came out with a $60 bill; how could that make me happy unless they’re brainwashing me?  That must be it…

Or maybe I’m just excited to have gotten out of the puberty talk at the middle school unscathed.  My husband (bless his heart) was the only male in the room.  We asked our daughter last night if she wanted both of us, just me, or none of us to go, and she chose both.  I won’t go into detail, but it was kind of a reality check.  Man, kids sure don’t stay little for long, do they?  Luckily for us, the talk was given by the school nurse, who is also a friend of the family from our church.  She handled it wonderfully, primitive sketch and all.  And that’s all I have to say about that.  1 (puberty talk at school) down, 3 to go…

As I have been reminded, it is Save the Frogs Day on Friday. I only think one state officially recognizes it, but that is not that point. The point is that we should be there to support the frogs! I would love to see how many of my readers agree with me on this! Frogs are my favorite animal and they are disappearing all around the world! Without our frogs, we are losing so many different important things in our life! Without frogs, so many of our medicine will no longer be around. And think of how many insects that frogs eat, the dieased misquitos for one! There are so many reasons that frogs need our help to survive. I could go on and on, but I won’t especially since I have to go pick up Tony, but think about what would happen if we suddenly had no more frogs in this world.

The last two rehearsals have been dedicated to blocking the entire show… preliminary blocking anyway.  You just know that it is going to change, particularly when we get our two weeks (of rehearsal) time on the stage.  But even to get that little idea in your head as to what you will be doing on stage is a big help.  It was like the blind leading the blind but when aren’t first blockings like that.  We did get to see “Eve’s” development of her big moment and the rest of us think she is off to a good start!

I am pleased with where I am at this point!  The memorization is coming.  Although, I do find myself running over “Kate’s” lines at times which at times seems appropriate since most of our moments end dramatically.  However, I will focus a bit more on the cue lines.

One of the highlights last night did not involve any blocking or scripts.  In the middle of a scene, we heard the thrilling refrain of John Williams’ “Superman March.”  I should have ignored it and kept the others guessing.  I was as surprised as them because I am usually careful to turn the cell phone off at inopportune times.  I did silence it after I read the text.  I did get HOMEWORK!  I’m to find my recording of the instrumental “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” which is an important part of the show.  It is in my itunes library.  I wonder if there is a way to send it to Beth via email.  I’ll see.

All in all.. a successful rehearsal with less than 4 weeks to go?!

After getting a few things done this evening, I sat down to read a bit and listen to some music. The story got put down early as I sat and payed more attention to the selection of songs playing. Random shuffle of songs I like played and stirred many memories.

Memories of children being born. Memories of good family times. Memory of love. Memories of people missing. Memories of people still around.

It has been said, that music touches the soul, and this I believe to be true. It is a gift to be able to recall the good times.

Not really an e-book review, since I’ve read or heard the various stories since my childhood, but I’ve been reading selections from Edgar Allan Poe on my Nook for the past week or so.

What I really enjoy about Poe, is the variety of writing I can read from him. He wrote short stories, poetry, black comedies. He wrote mysteries, horror and love poems. He wrote about real life mysteries. But he is mainly remembered for his stories and poems of the macabre and a lone visitor to his grave years after his death.

This past week I’ve been reading stories I’ve remembered from my youth. For those who don’t know the story, my older brother would read me Poe for bed time stories. He was 12 years older than me and had been reading Poe for school. For some reason he thought that these stories were fine his 4/5 year old kid brother. While there were a couple that kept me hiding under blankets for many nights (Tell Tale Heart, Pit and the Pendulum), I remember most of the stories and poems with great affection. I have to thank my brother for enlightening me at such a young and impressionable age. I’m sure this help/hindered? in my becoming who I am today. 😉

This past week, I’ve revisited the above mentioned stories and many others. 45 years and many readings later, these stories still hold my attention.

This is another look into the writing styles of the past. Think back to these stories being printed in various magazines. Then they are read in a time without electric lights. Candles, oil lamps and some gas lamps, plus the fire in the hearth, were the lighting of the time. All of these lamps were darker than our current electric lights. They make moving and shifting shadows on the walls. Poe’s stories of Horror and the Macabre read in those settings still can give a chill to the bones. With story telling/reading, the imagination of the listener/reader are key to the sense of the story. Poe’s stories readily help feed a fertile imagination.

Looking for a bit of that evening thrill, read ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by the light of a hurricane lamp. Or read “The Cask of Amontillado” in a damp cool cellar under candle light. Or how about “The Raven” in dim light during a wind/rain storm. Let your imaginations go, pick up some Poe and enjoy a shiver or two. Of course, you may need to read them alone…