The Way

Mom, James, Me & Dad I have the best brother ever who turns another year older today. October 29, 1959 (almost 4 years before my appearance on this terrestrial ball) a dark headed, widow peaked little boy was born. I have seen pictures and know that this kid looks much like his dad (my father). James and I have had some incredibly great times together. We grew up playing ball in the back yard (any kind of ball, it really didn't matter); he frequently beat on his little brother (I have the scars to prove it); and we shared a bedroom as little kids where he would say scary things to me and pretty much freak me out. He taught me how to throw a ball; hit a golf ball; kick a soccer ball and how to mow a yard. We shucked much corn together; broke many a green bean; traipsed through all kinds of woods hunting squirrel and rabbit; and fished every little creek, pond, lake, and puddle in Cass County. Oh, so many good times and memories. We grew, he moved out of the house, and I...

There are all kinds of quotes when it comes to getting older: You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old.   George Burns   Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough.   Groucho Marx   Age is a question of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.  Leroy "Satchel" Paige and one of my favorites is this one -  “A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.”    Robert Frost I will let you figure out what age Sondra turns today but here are some things you need to know about her -  She loves Jesus. She loves me with all of my faults and quirks. She loves her girls and her son-in-law. She loves people. She loves rules/guidelines and plays by them. She keeps a checkbook like no other. She can find something in a stack of papers when I cannot even find the stack. She loves details. She loves students she gets to be around at McGavock...

Milestones. You know those events that come along that force you to "put a stake in the ground", "set up a marker", and cause you to remember. I can be a little nostalgic at times and especially when it comes to family and specifically our daughters. I tear up just thinking about them, their accomplishments, and how quickly time passes by in life. Today, "Janjuary" 11th, Morgan turns 20 years old. She came into the world a little after 3am on a cold, January morning in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a pretty remarkable entry for me. When Sondra went into labor with Shelbi I was in FL at camp (see that story here ), so all the lead up to birth was new to me even though it was my 2nd time to witness birth. Morgan made a great entrance and has been entering everywhere since pretty much the same way. She has a quiet demeanor, but is full of life and is hysterical. She is accused many of times of being just like me, and in many ways she is, but there are n...