How is it that two little diaper covered bundles of energy bring such joy? Seems to me you need to be a parent or, in my case, a grandparent to get it.
First of all, you need to understand that I'm more than just a little biased with respect to my new twin grandchildren. When I tell you that they are the cutest, best natured, most perfect, and prettiest and handsomest little tykes in the world I'm not exaggerating. They are all of this and so much more! Gosh, I love these little people!
This weekend, I got to spend some time with them (not nearly enough however). It happens that their other set of grandparents was also on hand as well as their uncle. While I'm a little goo-goo around the twins, I'm not alone in this. I saw such a flood of love being showered on these little kids that it's a wonder the governor (Big Chet) wasn't on the phone to the President calling in a FEMA response team. There was love dripping all over the place. Messiest thing I've ever encountered.
Here's the best part....I got a first....I got each of the twins to stick out his or her respective tongue. I was simply doing what I always do when I'm around people, I was sticking out my tongue and wiggling it at them and they responded back with their little tongues wiggling. Now I suppose it's a bit difficult for you all to be as excited about this as I was, because I got kinda excited. "LOOK EVERYONE" I yelled out. "They're sticking out their tongues!!!!!!" "OK, OK, just calm down" was the bewildered look I got back. There's nothing like totally impressing the other set of grandparents. My daughter, the twins momma, seemed thoroughly impressed as did my wife E???????. "Wow" I thought! This is Blog material at it's finest.
Have you noticed that life reflects back your mood much like a mirror reflects back your smile or your frown. I saw my love reflected back in the faces of the twins yesterday. You can't see kindness or love, but if you give it out, then you always get it back, sometimes it's delayed a little, but you always get it back and often in double amounts. Like yesterday when I was playing with my grandchildren, I immediately saw my love reflected back in the simple expression on their perfect little faces showcasing their wet little tongues. I have a challenge for you this week....just be a little kinder than usual, smile a little more than usual, be a little more helpful than usual. Then come on back to this blog and post a comment about how your week went.
Tomorrow is Monday. While it's back to work for me, it's also the first gathering of a new small group study series at my Church, Lutheran Church of Hope. The study series is built around the little book "The Dream Giver" written by Bruce Wilkinson. E???? and I did the series once before, so this is a repeat for us. As I cruise toward retirement, this series seems perfectly targeted to me. God has given us all dreams. Many of us are afraid to follow our dreams...not enough money, not enough time, uncertainty and fear are the reasons we give. I just wonder how God is going to use me when I retire. I've been so incredibly blessed and now with the gift of time, I really don't have any excuses left.
During the past five years, my wife and I have traveled and seen a great deal of this world. Each of our trips has been wonderful and unforgettable, but not one of these trips is going to hold a candle to this new journey of retirement. I hope you tag along with me.
Take care....I'll be praying for you this week.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Totem Poles and Karaoke
We're back home and it's so very good to be here. The anticipation of travel is always so much better than the reality of it. Over time, the memories get sweeter and the hustle of getting there and then getting back home fades.
Cruising Alaska....that's a bit of an oxymoron isn't it? Yet that is exactly how most of us who are fortunate enough to be able to travel to Alaska actually experience this wondrous piece of God's creation. As I look back with memories so fresh in mind, it is a little difficult to separate the geography of Alaska from the confines of our massive cruise ship Oosterdam. The two are tangled up as I have them filed away in my memory. It's a mix of reality (the land that is Alaska) and fantasy (that Utopian experience that one lives aboard a cruise ship).
Let me start by looking back at Alaska the land. First impressions are the best impressions. We begin with a nearly day-long cruise through Glacier Bay National Park. Words are almost not enough to describe this pristine place where seals, whales, dolphins and other aquatic mammals begin their lives and prehistoric glaciers end their majestic thunderous death walk to the sea climaxing in enormous eruptions of seawater being reborn as icebergs and looking for their very own Titanic. What an amazing and breathtaking place and truly one of the finest wonders of God's creation.
Then comes Juneau, the state capital and one of the worlds tackiest tourist traps to which I have been unfortunate enough to visit. What a contrast to the natural God given beauty of Glacier Bay! To say this town is tacky is a bit of an understatement. It is the mega-center of T-shirt shops and jewelry shops. As we stood atop the beautiful Utopian Oosterdam, we were subjected to a shoreline packed with commercial shops, tour buses, and tens of thousands of tourists flocking ashore from the three or four massive cruise ships filling the harbor. This spectacle is certainly one I'm anxious to forget and stands as an apt tribute to man's creation and mistreatment of Alaska the landscape!
And so it went for five more days....indescribable beauty and wonder of what God made interspersed with the tackiness of the man-made stuff.The simplest things bring the most pleasure. Without a doubt, the best memory of the trip was whale watching from the balcony of our state room aboard the Oosterdam as it cruised from the harbor at Sitka. E???? and I stood and watched a dozen or more orcas put on a show just off the starboard side. One of these mammoth creatures floated on its side for several minutes waving its dorsal fin as if to say goodbye. Truly a spectacle equaling any we have viewed anywhere in the world.
How can one describe a cruise without discussing life aboard the cruise ship? This is about as close to a Utopian experience as one can live on this earth. It's a little like Disney Land on water where the reality of life is hidden away and replaced with the illusion of perfection. Where else can you get up in the morning to room service coffee served by a smiley faced Indonesian cabin steward while you sit snugly in a fluffy white robe and watch the Alaskan countryside float past? Do you want gourmet dining for every meal...it's available. Do you prefer an endless buffet...it's available. Do you want to be entertained your every waking hour...it's available. How about loosing a little money at the casino? Bingo your cup of tea? How about a nice massage or whole body detoxification? Do you want to be the entertainment...then go down to the karaoke lounge.Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Ya Gotta Be Kidding Doc...Celiac Sprue?????
I thought it was mind over waist line. For the one and only time in my life I was skinny and enjoying my new fit physique. Heck I could fit into a 30" waist pair of jeans just like a high school sophomore. I was totally rad man!!!
I figured something wasn't quite right when I returned from a Mediterranean cruise. While on the cruise I ate everything the steward put on the table, I snacked from the buffets and had ice cream from the machines. Didn't matter to my waistline. I came home from the trip and weighed less than when I got on the boat. I thought smugly, mind over waste line.
My regular doc knew something was up so he sent me to gastric doc. After a couple of not too glamorous probes (one up and later one down) I got the call...."sorry to tell you, but you've got Celiac Sprue". Sounds Yuk!!!! What's that?
If you found this blog, you can do the research for yourself. The short of it is, if it looks like bread, has gravy or batter on or in it, or has been thickened or seasoned to taste good, then it's probably poison to a celiac. This makes food selection at the grocery store pretty easy. The gluten free (that's what I can eat) section is about 2 feet long. Most restaurants struggle to put out something that I can eat and I'm a total pain in the butt for a waiter.
One of my friends says I have a glutton problem. I can't say he's wrong. Here's what is so sad....as soon as I quit eating all that good tasting fattening food and started to eat the rather bland special stuff off that 2 foot long grocery shelf I started to gain weight. Does that make any sense to anyone? Actually, I've been thinking throught this problem and I have a solution. When my waistline expands to the point I need to lose weight, then I just start eating all the wonderful fattening food that I'm not supposed to eat. I then eat and eat and eat until I get skinny. When my mother whispers to my wife that I look sick, then I will know it's time to change back to eating the bland stuff and fatten back up. Everyone should have it so good!! There...problem solved!
My unnamed better half and I will be doing that cruise thing again next week. It's off to Alaska to get an early start on winter and snow, get blasted by cold wind and rain from our cabin balcony, and face buffet after buffet of incredible food I can't eat. I expect I'll have a story or two to share with you and even a couple of pix. Sadly (or not) I won't be posting again for a couple of weeks.
Alaska!!!!! Can't wait to experience the beauty of the place. We've been all over God's earth the past few years and we are always totally amazed at just how perfect God made it all and how it fits together so precisely. There are people that question whether God exists. I just don't get that line of thought. What better proof than to just look at nature in the world or at the heavens around with its planets and stars. The enormity of it all is staggering and the complexity is mind boggling, wow! Want some good reading on this topic....spend a little time in Psalms 104 contemplating creation just as David must had done when he wrote it.
"God is alive and well and in his heaven!" That is an incredibly reassuring fact in this day of uncertainty.
I figured something wasn't quite right when I returned from a Mediterranean cruise. While on the cruise I ate everything the steward put on the table, I snacked from the buffets and had ice cream from the machines. Didn't matter to my waistline. I came home from the trip and weighed less than when I got on the boat. I thought smugly, mind over waste line.
My regular doc knew something was up so he sent me to gastric doc. After a couple of not too glamorous probes (one up and later one down) I got the call...."sorry to tell you, but you've got Celiac Sprue". Sounds Yuk!!!! What's that?
If you found this blog, you can do the research for yourself. The short of it is, if it looks like bread, has gravy or batter on or in it, or has been thickened or seasoned to taste good, then it's probably poison to a celiac. This makes food selection at the grocery store pretty easy. The gluten free (that's what I can eat) section is about 2 feet long. Most restaurants struggle to put out something that I can eat and I'm a total pain in the butt for a waiter.
One of my friends says I have a glutton problem. I can't say he's wrong. Here's what is so sad....as soon as I quit eating all that good tasting fattening food and started to eat the rather bland special stuff off that 2 foot long grocery shelf I started to gain weight. Does that make any sense to anyone? Actually, I've been thinking throught this problem and I have a solution. When my waistline expands to the point I need to lose weight, then I just start eating all the wonderful fattening food that I'm not supposed to eat. I then eat and eat and eat until I get skinny. When my mother whispers to my wife that I look sick, then I will know it's time to change back to eating the bland stuff and fatten back up. Everyone should have it so good!! There...problem solved!
My unnamed better half and I will be doing that cruise thing again next week. It's off to Alaska to get an early start on winter and snow, get blasted by cold wind and rain from our cabin balcony, and face buffet after buffet of incredible food I can't eat. I expect I'll have a story or two to share with you and even a couple of pix. Sadly (or not) I won't be posting again for a couple of weeks.
Alaska!!!!! Can't wait to experience the beauty of the place. We've been all over God's earth the past few years and we are always totally amazed at just how perfect God made it all and how it fits together so precisely. There are people that question whether God exists. I just don't get that line of thought. What better proof than to just look at nature in the world or at the heavens around with its planets and stars. The enormity of it all is staggering and the complexity is mind boggling, wow! Want some good reading on this topic....spend a little time in Psalms 104 contemplating creation just as David must had done when he wrote it.
"God is alive and well and in his heaven!" That is an incredibly reassuring fact in this day of uncertainty.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Grandkids, Frogs and Toads
Every now and then there is a day (or night) that we never forget. I had one of them last night. A very very special night. Let me explain.....
About a month and a half ago our daughter and son-in-law brought two grandchildren into our lives. Bennett and Olivia are indeed the two most beautiful kids on the face of the earth. And last night, they stayed overnight with us. They came into this world a little sooner than planned and had to spend a little time at the NICU getting bigger and stronger, but that's another story sometime in the future. Let the record show they are on track now. So allowing them to stay overnight with Grandpa and Grandma was no little step for their mom and dad.
Now we've had a lot of face time with the kids over the last few weeks, but taking care of them overnight was like one of those "Up Close and Personal" segments on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The kids were absolutely perfect and I suspect they each put on about a pound during the night. I like to eat, but these guys eat around-the-clock like little birds in a nest. Can you believe it, they wanted a three course meal at 8:00PM, 1:00AM, 5:00AM and then demanded seconds at 9:00AM. We were certainly glad their mom packed plenty of chow for them!
Anyway, at the 1:00AM feeding I was shuffling around the kitchen and my better half (the one I'm not allowed to mention in this blog) shrieked as she groggily shuffled past the front door. At the moment of the shriek, I was busy holding Bennett (or was it Olivia?) and attempting to warm a bottle of high octane baby formula. My instinct upon hearing the shriek was to drop the baby (kersplat) on the kitchen floor and climb up on a chair to reach safer heights. Not me however, I bravely carried the kid with me to the front door to find my wife pointing to a tiny bright green frog that had somehow sneaked its way into the house. E???? bravely opened the front door and we herded the tiny critter back outside. The fear quickly subsided and calm again prevailed in our house.
So what is the likelihood something as traumatic as a frog appearing in the house would occur two times in the same 24 hour period? As it turns out, 100%!!! Yup, it repeated at the 5:00AM feeding? This time as I again groggily staggered with kid in arms to the kitchen sink I saw a gray pile of something on the kitchen counter behind the sink faucet. I rubbed my eyes to get a clearer view, and believe it or not, saw another little frog (actually a toad this time). He was greedily eyeing a small dish of raspberries that E????? had picked earlier in the day and left out to ripen a little more. This ugly little guy was quickly evicted out the back door wrapped in a paper towel. From his perspective, not the most graceful exit...no doubt he has had better days!
So that's another episode of life in the fast lane at Gettin Older's house. Now you are no doubt wondering why this was such an unforgettable night. Did I mention how much I love those little kids and how spending time with them is one of the absolute pleasures of my life. Now don't get all teary eyed at the thought. They're eating, pooping and peeing little machines to the world, but to me and to Grandma, these tykes are the most precious jewels God ever made. How great it is to be bonded together into a family.
This little epic reminds me of Romans 8:14-17. Here Paul tells us that we're all part of God's family...yes, real children and legitimate heirs of the most powerful and holy God. Just like a grandparent thinks his grandchildren are the best, so too God views those who love him as the best and as his real children. As I settle into the role of grandfather I am coming to understand what my relationship to God really means to God and to me. How cool is that I ask you?
"The happiest man is the one who lives simply in the way that pleases God."
About a month and a half ago our daughter and son-in-law brought two grandchildren into our lives. Bennett and Olivia are indeed the two most beautiful kids on the face of the earth. And last night, they stayed overnight with us. They came into this world a little sooner than planned and had to spend a little time at the NICU getting bigger and stronger, but that's another story sometime in the future. Let the record show they are on track now. So allowing them to stay overnight with Grandpa and Grandma was no little step for their mom and dad.
Now we've had a lot of face time with the kids over the last few weeks, but taking care of them overnight was like one of those "Up Close and Personal" segments on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The kids were absolutely perfect and I suspect they each put on about a pound during the night. I like to eat, but these guys eat around-the-clock like little birds in a nest. Can you believe it, they wanted a three course meal at 8:00PM, 1:00AM, 5:00AM and then demanded seconds at 9:00AM. We were certainly glad their mom packed plenty of chow for them!
Anyway, at the 1:00AM feeding I was shuffling around the kitchen and my better half (the one I'm not allowed to mention in this blog) shrieked as she groggily shuffled past the front door. At the moment of the shriek, I was busy holding Bennett (or was it Olivia?) and attempting to warm a bottle of high octane baby formula. My instinct upon hearing the shriek was to drop the baby (kersplat) on the kitchen floor and climb up on a chair to reach safer heights. Not me however, I bravely carried the kid with me to the front door to find my wife pointing to a tiny bright green frog that had somehow sneaked its way into the house. E???? bravely opened the front door and we herded the tiny critter back outside. The fear quickly subsided and calm again prevailed in our house.
So what is the likelihood something as traumatic as a frog appearing in the house would occur two times in the same 24 hour period? As it turns out, 100%!!! Yup, it repeated at the 5:00AM feeding? This time as I again groggily staggered with kid in arms to the kitchen sink I saw a gray pile of something on the kitchen counter behind the sink faucet. I rubbed my eyes to get a clearer view, and believe it or not, saw another little frog (actually a toad this time). He was greedily eyeing a small dish of raspberries that E????? had picked earlier in the day and left out to ripen a little more. This ugly little guy was quickly evicted out the back door wrapped in a paper towel. From his perspective, not the most graceful exit...no doubt he has had better days!
So that's another episode of life in the fast lane at Gettin Older's house. Now you are no doubt wondering why this was such an unforgettable night. Did I mention how much I love those little kids and how spending time with them is one of the absolute pleasures of my life. Now don't get all teary eyed at the thought. They're eating, pooping and peeing little machines to the world, but to me and to Grandma, these tykes are the most precious jewels God ever made. How great it is to be bonded together into a family.
This little epic reminds me of Romans 8:14-17. Here Paul tells us that we're all part of God's family...yes, real children and legitimate heirs of the most powerful and holy God. Just like a grandparent thinks his grandchildren are the best, so too God views those who love him as the best and as his real children. As I settle into the role of grandfather I am coming to understand what my relationship to God really means to God and to me. How cool is that I ask you?
"The happiest man is the one who lives simply in the way that pleases God."
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries
Don't know your age. Don't really care. It's my age that counts today, because I'm getting close...oh so very close...to the magic age of "RETIREMENT"! I've set the date and I don't plan on changing it. What's the date? March 3, 2011. Wow!!! Kazow!!! Whoopee Ding!!!
I feel a little like a kid waiting for school days to tick down to that magic June date when all heck breaks loose in the school hallways around the world. The one thing on every kid's mind that day is summer "freedom". Oh, in reality it's not as good as it sounds, but it is good. That's how I'm viewing March 3, 2011. I'm planning on all heck breaking loose that day. I've been telling my friends that in commemoration of passing through the door to the parking lot from my place of employment on that final day of pain, that I plan on passing gas...kinda of my last salute to my 40 working years.
Oh, it hasn't been all pain. I have many great memories that I've stored up and they far outweigh the painful ones. But these last 10 years have not been fun and I am so very very glad that this time in my life is winding down. But; that's not what this blog is about and I won't be dealing with this topic again. I just needed to say it and get it off my chest...it's a bit therapeutic to say it sort of publicly and to my friends.
If you're reading this, its either by chance or by invitation. If by invitation, then you are a friend of mine. If by chance, just keep in mind that you always get what you pay for so please keep you expectations down to a minimum.
So what will I be writing about in future blogs? I have an endless list of ideas at the moment. Mostly, the topics will deal with life after work and what that means and what it means to prepare for eternal life. Oh yes, there is a very spiritual side to this old guy and I'll be sharing that side as well. I have every intention of living a useful and interesting retirement.
Ultimately, I hope this blog will be a useful collection of memories for my family and friends. Oh, did I mention that I'm going to be writing about family and friends as well, This is going to be a "tell all" place. There's not a "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" attitude here. If it happens to me, it's going to get shared around the world.
Don't expect to read anything about my lovely wife here. Should you ever hear the name E???? mentioned, you will know that I've published my very last blog ever because I've been duly warned.
That's all for today, but keep coming back. I plan to close each of my installments with a quote that you will be able to carry with you. So for today "Just remember that God loves you and he never changes his mind!"
I feel a little like a kid waiting for school days to tick down to that magic June date when all heck breaks loose in the school hallways around the world. The one thing on every kid's mind that day is summer "freedom". Oh, in reality it's not as good as it sounds, but it is good. That's how I'm viewing March 3, 2011. I'm planning on all heck breaking loose that day. I've been telling my friends that in commemoration of passing through the door to the parking lot from my place of employment on that final day of pain, that I plan on passing gas...kinda of my last salute to my 40 working years.
Oh, it hasn't been all pain. I have many great memories that I've stored up and they far outweigh the painful ones. But these last 10 years have not been fun and I am so very very glad that this time in my life is winding down. But; that's not what this blog is about and I won't be dealing with this topic again. I just needed to say it and get it off my chest...it's a bit therapeutic to say it sort of publicly and to my friends.
If you're reading this, its either by chance or by invitation. If by invitation, then you are a friend of mine. If by chance, just keep in mind that you always get what you pay for so please keep you expectations down to a minimum.
So what will I be writing about in future blogs? I have an endless list of ideas at the moment. Mostly, the topics will deal with life after work and what that means and what it means to prepare for eternal life. Oh yes, there is a very spiritual side to this old guy and I'll be sharing that side as well. I have every intention of living a useful and interesting retirement.
Ultimately, I hope this blog will be a useful collection of memories for my family and friends. Oh, did I mention that I'm going to be writing about family and friends as well, This is going to be a "tell all" place. There's not a "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" attitude here. If it happens to me, it's going to get shared around the world.
Don't expect to read anything about my lovely wife here. Should you ever hear the name E???? mentioned, you will know that I've published my very last blog ever because I've been duly warned.
That's all for today, but keep coming back. I plan to close each of my installments with a quote that you will be able to carry with you. So for today "Just remember that God loves you and he never changes his mind!"
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