It's Your Burfday!!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!


Man's abiding happiness is not in getting anything
but in giving himself up to what is greater than himself,
to ideas which are larger than his individual life,
the idea of his country,
of humanity,
of God.
- Tagore

Grasshoppers Playing Football

The countdown is ticking.

Friday night I'll assume my position perched on the edge of an aluminum bleacher in a high school stadium (this year a little closer to the field so the coaching staff and Ron can hear my play calls more clearly).

What does the year hold for the Dragons? I dunno. According to Ron, they suck. But he's never been one to approach the world thru the eyes of an optimist.

However, when it comes to me, I choose to believe in the impossible and dare anyone to challenge my beliefs.

This past weekend, Ed started a great series called "Living the Dream" I loved how he talked about the children of Israel and what happened to the naysayers that complained about being 'grasshoppers' in a land of giants.

I feel like telling Ron, "quit with the grasshopper talk, and encourage the kids to play with all they've got. Instill in them the belief that THEY ARE the giants, not the grasshoppers. Give them some mental/emotional RAID and let 'em loose!"

In the same vain, I must examine my own life and pinpoint even the smallest areas in my day-to-day living where I find it easier to "go grasshopper" (you gotta listen to Ed's sermon to understand) than the harder road of electing to move toward faith.

According to Joshua, I'm 'sposed to be strong and courageous no matter what I'm doing or what task I'm taking on.

Should Ron choose to take the non-grasshopper approach with the players over the next couple of days before they face their first opponent on Friday night, does that mean they'll win? Nope. Can't find that promise in The Word.

However, I am certain that every time I make the decision to be a magnet and stick myself to God's plan/will (another sermon reference that you won't understand unless you listen to Ed's sermon) my visions of wearing green and hoping not to end up a yellow smear on the windshield of life will fade away. And my timid yet determined steps toward faith will be empowered by the knowledge that God is with me.

If I have seen further than other men, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants

Sir Issac Newton

....(or because I am a giant!)

Novia Plummer

Keep Your Fork

A group of runners that I run with is wrapped in a 'death-watch' for a dear friend. For the last few days, the updates have been coming via email a couple times an hour of how he is doing and what the doctors are saying.

Many have shared their memories of him and his crazy antics via the email list serve. The following was just sent to the email list, with a note "Keep your fork Big Red."

Although Big Red is very close to breathing his last and will not read the email that was sent, the sentiment hit me deep, and I would be remiss not to share it with y'all.

Woman And A Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had bene given three months to live. So as she was getting her things, 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply. "This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" The young woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.

The young woman explained, "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement."

"In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.'"

"It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!" "So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork...the best is yet to come.'"

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew tha thte young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral, people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Keep your fork.

Notes From the Farm (Day 6 - Family is Way More Important)

It's my last night here at the farm.

It's been an uber long day. Filled with yard work, birthday cakes and bonfire pj parties. But you'll have to wait to hear all the saucy details, becasue spending a few more moments with my fam before I head back to Texas is much more important than writing.

Headed south tomorrow morning. Sad to go, but glad I came!

Notes From the Farm (Day 5 - Movin' Right Along)

It's been a really good day. I spent much of the day outside working on tearing down the white picket fence surrounding the front yard. Check out the before and after pics. Originally mom wanted to paint it, but after much thought, we agreed that the front yard would look better if we pulled it out. And I got the nod to be the demo-chica!

It was very soothing to swing the heavy sledge hammer into the fence and its supports. There was just something about steadying myself by staggering my stance and then swinging from my hips and waist and then hearing the crack as the sledge hammer hit the wood and then reverberating back at me as it echoed across the property.

There were several humorous swings when I missed the post and my body, unable to fight the centrigugal force of a extremely heavy sledge hammer in flight, spun around, causing my legs to get tangled and me to fall hard on my rear. Why is the girl that chose to be a runner becasue she has no hand-eye coordination allowed to swing a sledgehammer? That my friends, is a question for the ages!!!

Or when I was trying to separate a portion of the fence from the post and I leaned into that particular secion of the fence, which after having the top brace loosened from one of the posts, the bottom brace gave way, and I went head over heels across the gravel drive. I've got a beautiful raspberry on my right arm to commemorate the hilarity!

My folks agree that it looks awesome now. The yard no longer looks chopped up, the new look gives the property more continuity. I got most of the fence demolished and with the help of my dad who drug the remnants to a burn pile where I'm promised I will be allowed to douse it in kerosene and throw a match on it. My brother will be over after church tomorrow to knock down what my brute strength couldn't.

I don't think my fancy camera is gonna be able to take a picture of the fire, so you'll just have to imagine it in your mind. Me. Allowed to handle flammable liquids AND flame creating instruments! Yeah, you're right, my folks may have lost it!

Dad came out later in the day to help out. We had to repair portions of the deck where I had pulled out banisters and part of the fence. It was pretty cool pounding away with dad. A total father/daughter moment.

I did a lot of other work on a couple of other beds in the yard, but you'll have to wait on pens and needles to see those pics tomorrow.

After these last few days of hard labor, I now understand why folks weren't overweight back in the day. They worked outside from dawn to dark, and burned off all those calories!!!

Daily Nature Update:
Okay, I admit it, I'm wholly obsessed with the manders! After my dad and I finished working on the porch, we sat and chit chatted. While we were chit chatting, a couple of manders peeked up from the cracks in the porch and decided that right then would be a great time to sunbathe

The first pic is the mander right when he got out from the shade and into the sun.

The second pic is of the mander, tucking in his legs preparing to sunbathe. It was quite odd. Why would he tuck in his legs? Okay, no emails, that was a rhetorical question. When I relax, I'm usually splayed across whatever I'm relaxing on...not so for this mander.

That's it for now! I'm a bit sad that my trip is coming to an end (I'll head south on Monday). But I'm so glad that I came. I really should make this a yearly thing. I don't mind the work, it's actually quite therapeutic, I throw on the headphones, turn on the iPod and just work. No one bothers me, my mom makes my dinner in the evening, I don't have to worry about what's happening the next day, because I know it'll have something to do with the property. Plus, it's very satisfying to start a project and see the massive positive changes that project has affected when its completed!

Forget island or resort get-aways, call up your folks tell 'em you're coming home to help them out however they need help. And then follow-through. Its hard work, but the tradeoff is the sense of accomplishment you feel, and the lasting impression on those that mean so much to you that you'll leave behind when you head back to your day-to-day reality away from vacation-land.

Notes From the Farm (Day 4 -- Not much going on)

I didn't get much done today. I was beat from yesterday. My project for tomorrow (tearing down the white picket fence that surrounds the immediate front yard) wasn't started until about an hour before it got dark.

Several set backs with equipment and the like, but I did get a lot of stuff done inside in the way of mending things for my nephews and my folks. I also got a *gasp* very nice nap in!

I found the cord to marry my camera to the computer to dump all the photos I've taken in the yard, so instead of boring you with my mindless chitter chatter, I'll provide you ooooooohing and ahhhhhhhhing pics so here ya go







More to come tomorrow, I just got sick of fighting with the blogspot formatting! Today's nature lesson: Here's a pic of the mander I told y'all about. My nephew caught one yesterday and was kind enough to subdue the mander long enough for me to snap a pic, I wouldn't be surprised if National Geographic was to come a knocking after this GREAT picture taking of mine!


The final pic is of me and the three oldest (Ayron, Jazzmine and Malachi). They worked their rears off (as you can see from the before and after pics). I'm surprised they were still able to smile. Man, I wish I still had that kind of fortitude!

I'm headed off to take a shower and eat some good home cooked grub. My mom just walked in the office and read my entry over my shoulder, and very quickly corrected me, letting me know that they do not live on a farm, they live in the woods....semantics....whatever! They have a dog, deer that roam thru the land, eating their hostas, a couple of owls, some 'manders, a praying mantis and the occasional bunny, I think that's enough animals to constitute a "farm." You say tomato, I say toe-mah-toe. Farm is in the eye of the beholder.

Being home with my folks ROCKS!

Notes From the Farm (Day 2 Re-think)

Before I left for Missouri, I visited with a friend of mine and asked her if she had any advice for me going into my week-long visit with the fam. Her advice...."don't go." We laughed together.

As many of you know, three years ago, my folks left the house I grew up in and moved to a gorgeous 8 acre spread in the country. It's a bit of a cliche, because it has everything a little house in the woods would have down to the white picket fence! But it's 'home' and its more than they ever imagined owning.

I decided to make this trip my vacation because when you own that much land, there's a lot to be done and quite frankly, I'm the cheapest labor they can find. :) I came to work! In hopes of leaving a huge dent in their 'to-do' list around the property.

This morning was BRUTAL! Five AM kicked me outtah the bed and I was hating life. I kept asking myself why I was getting out of bed so early on my vacation to go drip with the other health-nazis at Alex's (my brother) gym. Then I remembered that whole 13.1 mile race thing I'm running in November. Every other 1/2 marathon I've run, there's been no such thing as a 'vacation' so this one is no different.

Somewhere way south of 8:00 AM, I emerged from the gym, drove back to my folks house, grabbed a shower, ate breakfast, talked to my mom as she got ready for a meeting and then went back to bed. I got up around noon and began my first task, weeding the flower beds (there's five of them and they're endless) and prepping them to lay down landscaper's fabric and new pea gravel. I worked and worked and worked some more. Dude, maybe I should've re-thunk this trip...this is vacation? It's hot, I'm sweaty and for every five weeds I pull, six more pop up in my peripheal vision! It was like a sadistic cartoon.

Here's a little tip for ya: I forgot my sunscreen, but mom told me to use the 'skin so soft' in her bathroom as bug repellant. She told me to rub it on every piece of exposed skin (which was about 90% of my body seeing I had on a pair of shorts and a cut-off shirt) and the bugs would not get me...how this relates to sunscreen I dunno. After she left, I trekked to her bathroom, rummaged under the counter and found the 'skin so soft.' I had no idea it was bath oil. I walked out of her bathroom, held up the bottle and asked my dad if "this is what mom was talking about." He told me 'yeah.' A bit perplexed, because I'd never heard of using bath oil as a bug repellant, I shrugged my shoulders and lubbed up my legs and arms and neck and hands and...well every part of exposed flesh. Now, at 9:30 PM, after four or so hours out in a very heavily wooded yard, I have no bug bites to show for it. Hmph! Who'd thunk it? Bath oil better than OFF! I guess the bugs can't bite you when you're too oily for them to get a foot hold! I'm like a giant slide for them. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

That litte tip's a freebie! The next one'll cost ya!

On to the nature report of the day: it seems that their house is a haven for salamanders of all colors and sizes. They're everywhere! Okay, I exaggerate a bit. I've seen five today all at high sprint in the opposite direction of the big brown girl dripping sweat and pulling weeds out from in front of the rocks that they're hiding beneath. There was one that was light green and gray with a very long tail that was solid blue. I'M NOT KIDDING! It looked like a ghetto car where a door had been replaced that was a whole different color than the car. Maybe I should Wikipedia it and give you a report on what kind of salamander it was yesterday. I would've taken pics to share, but the 'manders (my new nickname for the salamanders) were having none of that, huh-uh!!! It was saturday at the races, and they weren't letting up until they got away from me!

That's about it for the day. When my mom got home from her meeting we took a trip to my favorite place...yup, you guessed it! Lowe's!! And bought stuff to finish the beds with.

It's dark, I'm tired and in need of a shower. Day 2, I rethunk it and I'm glad I decided to come, what don't kill me, sunburn me, bite me or slither away from me can only make me stronger.

Notes From The Farm (Day 1-Shame)

I made a commitment to myself that I would take the time to do some writing while I'm on vacation, and it's a bit of a struggle to stay true to my word. Not because I've been really busy, but because now that I'm away from routine, I don't want to do ANYTHING!

As many of you know, I packed up the car and headed north this morning. Off to see the fam. It was the first time in three years that I did the trek without Ron in-tow. It was odd not to have someone griping for nine hours about the drivers around you and how crappy they drive. Actually, the quiet was PURE BLISS! He's still in Dallas, as two-a-days started last week, and now his world revolves around football, and my world has become much more serene.

I spent time catching up with my folks and my brother and I stopped by my sisters house to see her children. I feel so old! Ayron, the oldest, has a goatee and is grown as the day is long! He will graduate from high school in May. The other four are growing faster than the national deficit. I can't believe the changes in them in the last 7 months. I saw them at Christmas, but it seems like YEARS have passed!

I stopped by my Sunday School teacher from 3rd grade's house and sat and chatted with her and her husband. It was so wonderful to see her and talk to her and see how God has really moved and blessed her world over the last 20-some-odd years. While I've kept in touch with her, I haven't been to visit her since high school. She is a tangible example of God's faithfulness to His own. It's a long story, but to remember what she didn't have when I was growing up, and to see how God has materially and immaterially blessed her over the years almost knocked me off my feet.

When my brother dropped me back at my folks' house, it was 10:30 PM and I wanted to make a beeline for the bed because I'm getting up at 5:00 AM in the morning to meet him at the gym. But my dad was still awake so I sat and talked with him. Not about anything big, just 'stuff.' It was a sweet, sweet time. I didn't want to leave him. But the clock is ticking and 5:00 AM and me NEVER got along, and I honestly don't see us being on anything more than nodding terms tomorrow morning.

But before I went to sleep, I wanted to write about the shame that I felt as I was hanging out with my folks and my sunday school teacher this evening. As I sat and listened to them talk and share what was going on in their worlds, I realized how precious each one of them are. I felt such deep shame of how much of a pain in the arse I was growing up. I was ashamed at my desire to flee as far away from this town as was fiscally possible. I felt shame for bad-mouthing my folks and for thinking I was smarter than all those involved in the 'village' that raised and molded me into who I am today. I was in such a hurry to grow up, that the marvels of the well of knowledge that village had was lost on me. Like water off a ducks butt it rolled off.

I want to stop time, make it stand still for a couple of days, a week, maybe a month or so. To delve into that knowledge, that experience. To open a dialogue, maybe even a town meeting to get reacquainted with those that I love.

But time is not mine to control. So I've got to make the best of it and do as Paul said, forget what is behind and press on toward what lies ahead. And what lies ahead of me is a week that I will not squander, where phones, computers, televisions, cars and watches will not dictate nor interfere with my schedule. A week of refamiliarizing myself with what really matters, those that love me and those that I love.

But before all that happens, I must get rest.