Cardinal
Species, please!
Stumped
July 4th
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News - July 2009
Friday, 31 July 09
The stump affair has been resolved. Aaron and I are packing for Moldova; critical items, such as passports, tickets and Keppra are checked and double checked. I retreived a couple of paperbacks from the attic to read during the trip. One book, Fly for Your Life, I read in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The volume has been unattended for 15 years.
Friday, 24 July 09
It doesn't take much. Just sprinkle a little bird seed on the outside window sill, sit back and watch the show. The seed mix attracts finches, chick-a-dees, cardinals and several other types that I cannot identify. The liquid feeder overhead is seen to be orbited by several hummingbirds. I am reminded of Mt 6:26, "Consider the birds of the field..."
Wednesday, 22 July 09
My book (An
Unremarkable Man), which has been a work in progress for several months, is entering the publication phase. I look forward to the coming weeks, during which my manuscript and book covers finally become a real volume to provide hope and encouragement for members of the brain tumor community. An Unremarkable Man is for all people who hope, and for all who have lost hope.
Saturday, 18 July 09
I mounted another assault on
the three tree stumps today, with some success. Two of these stumps merge into one massive stump just above ground level. I favor the exercise associated with this activity, but I am running out of time. Aaron and I will leave for Moldova in less than two weeks and I do not wish the hole in the yard to remain during our absence.
Tuesday, 14 July 09
Kathy, Aaron and I attended a most unusual concert this evening called Video Games Live. The Ft. Worth Symphony, along with the creators of this show, performed music from many well-known video games. This one of a kind event reminded me of the Blue Man Group performance we had experienced with the whole family and the Argyle Band in Chicago in December 2007.
Saturday, 11 July 09
Kathy and I have returned from Texas Tech (TT) with Aimee and Aric. Both had attended a band camp all this week and we enjoyed hearing them play in this morning in Lubbock. The drive to and from TT was interesting. The landscape was mostly green. I had anticipated a parched desolate wasteland, but evidently many of the thunderstorms that missed the Dallas-Ft. Worth area this year did pay a visit to the counties of West Texas. The second surprise on this road trip was the abundance of Historical Markers all along the route across this part of Texas. I'd like to travel this region of Texas again sometime, alone, so I can stop and read all of these markers.
Monday, 06 July 09
The 4th of July holiday continues today. I am off from work and took a final crack at the yard. I confess that I do relish hard, laborous work in the yard. I like getting my hands dirty, working like a dog and then jumping in the pool to cool off. Frequent pauses to drench myself using the garden hose and deep, long drinks of water minimize the risk of a heat-related issue. My efforts occasionally draw praise. "The yard looks great, dad" was one such comment offered this long weekend. Then there was the totally unexpected accolade from both Andrew and Aaron about the huge effort I must have extended 15 years ago to erect the wooden fort in the backyard that became an icon of their childhood.
Sunday, 05 July 09
A day with Andrew and Aaron at Olive Garden after church, followed by a movie. We took down a huge dead oak tree in the backyard. I wish the movie camera had been running to provide a witness of the event. It isn't everyday that I fell an 800-1000 pound tree. A second movie completed the day.
Saturday, 04 July 09
Happy birthday, USA! Today was a full day of fun, featuring activities such as eating, swimming and patriotic documentaries on the Military channel. I have seen many bumper stickers featuring the phrase, "God bless America." The Lord has in fact been very good to this country, and I believe that the time has come to turn the tables, as I have seen on one bumper sticker: "America bless God."
Friday, 03 July 09
The riding mower runs sweetly following major repairs. It even mows level, no longer scalping the yard. The story behind this machine is epic. A short story is being written to capture all of the humorous details.
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