A different kind of resolution

Every year about this time I am inspired by news agencies and websites that give a summary of events from the past year. 2011, the year in pictures. Top news stories of 2011. Famous people who died in 2011. You get the idea. Every year I want to do something similar... keep notes, a journal, a diary etc... to document the events of the coming year. And every December I look back and try to remember what happened during the past year because I (again) failed to document the events in writing. This year will be different! (Yeah, right!) because Sveta will be coming home. I am dedicated to it this time.

Here is my lame attempt at recalling some 2011 highlights (and some not-so-high-lights) for the Meyer Family.

January- Jessi and Barry announce their decision to adopt a little girl from Russia.

February- I turned 44 years old. I can tell you in all seriousness... this was my turning point. Meaning this is the year I actually began to feel my age. My vision and hearing are diminishing. My body aches most of the time. My memory is not as sharp as it once was. My hairline is receding at an alarming rate. Things are happening to my body that won't be mentioned on this blog.

April- We become members of the Bible Chapel of Delhi Hills. The church where Tami and I will attend the rest of our lives.

May 4th- Michael's lung collapses at school scaring the daylights out of everybody. He is in the hospital about a week.

June 2nd- Michael's lung collapses for a second time (again at school). Our early June cruise vacation is in serious jeopardy. The doctor says he'll need surgery after our vacation (If we go).

June 8th- Michael recovers in the nick of time and we leave for our vacation somewhat against the doctor's recommendation (he never ordered Michael NOT to go). Later that same day in Lebanon, Pennsylvania Michael experiences pain in his chest. We stop at a hospital fearing the worst. But it's only a false alarm resulting from a long day of driving.

June 9th-18th. Bermuda and Caribbean cruise goes off without a hitch. Michael has no problems with his lung. We had a wonderful time.

June 18th- We hit a deer in Zanesville, Ohio returning from vacation. Car damaged, but is still drivable. My amazing Father-in-Law fixed the damage at a greatly reduced price!

June 19th- Father's Day. Dinner at La Rosa's restaurant with Tami's parents is interrupted by Michael's third lung collapse. He was scheduled the next day for an appointment to set up the surgery for later in the week.

June 21st- Michael's lung is repaired via surgery and has had no further problems. Praise the Lord! He was in the hospital 8 or 9 days.

July 20th- Tami and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

August- I enter my 22nd year of teaching. Abby is a freshman. Michael is a senior.

September- I learn that legislation in Ohio officially passed changing my retirement plans. Formerly I was eligible to retire in 2020. New law extends my teaching career by 8 years. I'm still sick to my stomach over this.

October 1st- I launch this blog. A tremendous outlet for a silent and seemingly shallow guy.

November- A lot of time going through the ups and downs of the adoption process with Jess and Barry. Many roadblocks during this time.

November 12- Watched my niece Mary win a state soccer championship in Columbus with her team, Summit Country Day High School. This was quite a thrill for the entire Meyer family.

December 7- Jessi and Barry get the call informing them of a court date on the 23rd.

December 23- Court goes well and the Russian judge grants custody of Sveta to Jessi and Barry.

Christmas Holiday- Things feel different this year. The kids are older and we are distracted with Sveta's impending adoption. Great Christmas nonetheless. Decision made to leave tree and lights up until Sveta comes home to see them

December 31- I look back at 2011 remembering far more than I thought I would. Thanking God for his everlasting mercy and grace. As I typed this post I saw in text just how much God has blessed the Meyers this year. My prayer now is for Sveta to be home next month and for God's continued protection and blessing on this family.

Happy New Year everyone! May 2012 be your best ever. Thanks to anyone who checks this blog regularly. I'm flattered that anyone would care enough to read this drivel.

One secret to a happy marriage

I've been very happily married over 20 years. I guess this gives me the right to speak about one of the secrets of my good and happy marriage. About twice a year Tami and I take a little trip together. No kids. Usually it's around our anniversary in July and the week between Christmas and New Years Day. We just returned from our winter trip. We stayed in Knoxville, Tennessee and took a daytrip to Gatlinburg. Tami and I had a lot of time to talk and one of the things we discussed was the importance of these little trips. We agreed it's crucial for couples to take time away for themselves. Throughout the year that means taking the time to go on dates with your spouse. Going out to dinner or maybe a little shopping trip. Just a few hours to unwind, converse, reconnect and enjoy each other's company. Then occasionally taking off for a night or two. It's much easier to relax when you are not looking at housework, not worried about bills and not dealing with everyday life. Obviously this used to be more difficult because we had to find someone to care for the kids while away. Nowadays things are a lot simpler. Our kids are old enough and (more importantly) trustworthy enough to be left alone for a day or so. They even said they enjoyed a little bit of freedom and having the house to themselves. I have to tell you folks, it's a mighty good feeling knowing you can leave your kids alone in the house and not having to worry about them. We returned home to find the house just as we left it (except some dirty laundry and a considerable dent in the food supply). The bottom line is this... there's no shame in leaving your kids for a day or two. Whether you have to find a sitter or can leave them alone, they'll be no worse for the wear in your absence. Besides, did you ever consider maybe your kids need a break from you too? When mom and dad take time together, they're better off for it and the kids naturally benefit from having a couple of parents with recharged batteries. So there you have it, folks. One of my many secrets to a long and happy marriage. Take time to date your spouse and occasionally take some time away.

P.S.
How come nobody ever told me Gatlinburg is insanely busy at Christmas time? Wall to wall people would be a gross understatement. I mean, how many t-shirt shops, handmade crafts and Smoky Mountain candy kitchens can a person look at? And what's up with the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum? Frankly the only thing I can't believe is that people actually pay money to see that stuff. Sheesh!

Christmas Goose

I received a goose for Christmas. Not the kind of goose you'd find on the Cratchit's table in Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but a crystal goose from Russia. As many of you may recall, Sveta lives in a place called Gus Khrystalny. Literally translated it means "Crystal Goose". This small Russian town even has a museum dedicated to cut glass and crystal.

A few months back I expressed a desire to have a goose made of crystal. I said it would be a constant reminder of the beginnings of the life of my first grandchild. I received that goose today. Jessi and Barry brought it back from Russia. It will be displayed prominently in my home and I will treasure it forever.

2 out of 3 ain't bad

2 out of 3 ain't bad... but it ain't good either.

Jessi and Barry arrived home safely last night after a very long day of travel. But they arrived home without Sveta. The Russian Christmas and New Year celebration made staying in Russia impractical. There just would have been too much time with absolutely nothing to do. Therefore they flew home yesterday (Christmas Day) and will return in the middle of next month to complete the adoption process and finally bring Sveta home.

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I am happy they are home and we may get to visit with them. On the other hand, I am disappointed the process is going to be delayed again by a few weeks. But at least the end is near... we are now talking weeks instead of months. Now there is no question of "if", but only of "when" Sveta will get home.

Merry Christmas

We spent Christmas morning at my in-laws house. My mother-in-law cooked an incredible breakfast for the whole family. We returned home mid-afternoon. The rest of the day was spent in quiet relaxation. There was very little excitement to our time after returning home. This is not a bad thing at all. Peace and quiet on Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas just isn't the same...

It's Christmas Eve. We just returned from our church's candlelight service. It was truly beautiful and helped our family remain focused on the true reason for the Christmas holiday. Tami and I have been marveling lately at how Christmas just isn't the same anymore. When the kids were small their excitement would build over wondering what was in the brightly wrapped packages under the tree. On Christmas morning the kids would tear into them like crazy. As they got a little older some of the excitement had begun to fade, but there was still some magic in Christmas. Today, Jessi is married and has a life of her own. Michael and Abby are teenagers and the thrill of receiving gifts is all but gone. It's the natural order of things I suppose. But kind of sad really...

This is another reason we are so eager to get our Sveta home. We know that Sveta and subsequent grandchildren will bring a revival of sorts to the wonder of Christmas. I can't wait to see young grandchildren opening gifts from Grammy and Grampy and squealing with delight. I can't wait to see their eyes as big as pie plates when they see the multitude of lights and Christmas decorations. Please don't misunderstand. I know Christmas is not about gifts. It's not about lights and decorations. But there will be definite joy in watching our grandchildren experience all of this. Then when all the excitement has died down, we'll settle in, Read Luke 2 and thank the Lord for our family and remember the best Christmas gift of all... Our Lord and Savior, Jesus. I am certainly looking forward to that day.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men". Luke 2:11-14

The Russian Judge said...

The Russian Judge said, "Da!". That means "yes" in Russian. She granted custody of Sveta to Jessi and Barry. We now have a granddaughter! Praise the Lord! If you're interested in the details of the court hearing, view Jessi and Barry's blog to the right under "Blogs I follow".

The only difference now is the waiting period. Apparently as of January 1, 2012, the law will be changed from a waiting period of 10 days to 30 days. That means Jessi and Barry will fly home to the United States on Christmas Day without Sveta. Then they will return in mid-January to begin filing paperwork for her passport and visa to leave the country. Why not begin filing paperwork immediately you ask? Good question. It's because the Russians celebrate Christmas on January 7th. And just like the U.S., everything (including all government offices and business) comes to a grinding halt for the holidays.

I'm not sure if getting the ruling prior to January 1st, allows them to avoid the 30 day waiting period or not. Right now details are a bit sketchy, but here is what I know... Jessi and Barry fly home December 25th. Jessi will fly back to Russia alone on January 9th or 10th to get started on paperwork. Barry will join her in Russia on or about the 19th. The amount of time it takes to receive the passport will determine when they get to bring Sveta home for good. This could take some time as you may guess... government red tape is not limited to the good ol' USA.


Thanks for all your prayers everybody. We'll keep you posted of further developments.

I feel SO old

Last night we took a little trip to Half Price Books just for kicks. They have a little bit of everything... books, CDs, Old VHS tapes, magazines, novelties and... old vinyl record albums. We were all browsing through the dusty old records when Michael took one out of its sleeve and said, "So THIS is what a record looks like!". It blew me away that he had never seen a record before. He then asked a bunch of questions that seemed so comical to Tami and me. He wanted to know if there was a specific place on the record to place the needle to get the record to play. He wanted to know if there was something wrong with it because it was so flimsy and floppy. I explained that records are made of vinyl which is much more flexible than the space age material CDs are made of. I also showed him how you could look at the record and see the divisions between the songs on the surface of the vinyl. In the end we all had a good laugh about how kids today have no idea what records are or how they work. After the laughing died down I wandered the aisles of the store alone and I began to feel very old. My son is going to college next year, My eldest daughter is on the other side of the world getting ready to bring my first grandchild home and my youngest daughter reminded me that she can get her drivers learning permit in 6 months. Perhaps I should start making plans for my mid-life crisis. Should I get a BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes or a Porsche?

Russia Update

I will not attempt to summarize the first day or so of Jessi and Barry's trip to adopt Sveta. If you are interested in the details, you can find a link to their blog on the right side of my blog under "Blogs I follow". It's called "A path home". Barry posted a good summary of their trip to date. Check it out...

FIREBALL

There are many adjectives used to describe a child with a lot of energy. She's active, she's energetic, she's spunky, she's full of personality, she's a pistol, she's somethin' else.

I haven't met Sveta yet. The only way I know her is through the 10 minute video taken back in April. I've literally seen it dozens of times. No matter how many times I watch it, the same word keeps coming to my mind to describe my sweet little Sveta. I just keep saying, "She's a ball of fire!". It's for this very reason I've already decided to call her FIREBALL. This could all change once I've spent some time with her. Isn't that how nicknames are born anyway? But for now she's my little Fireball... and believe me, the name fits.

They made it!

Rather than type my own update, I just copied and pasted the latest from Jessi's blog...

Our flights were just fine...and customs took no time at all...neither did passport control. Barry and I have not been able to sleep much...so pray we can tonight.

We just pulled into Vladimir and are headed to our home away from home for a while. More later when We settle.

Praise the Lord! They are one step closer to bringing Sveta home.

Today's the day

Today's the day Jessi and Barry leave for Russia. They fly out of CVG early this afternoon. Once arriving in Russia, they will get to visit with Sveta Monday through Thursday before the court date on Friday the 23rd. After the court date there is a 10 day waiting period. This waiting period is designed to give the biological parents the opportunity to change their minds. However, Sveta has already been turned over to the state, so it seems the waiting period is a legal formality at this point. But... we will keep praying until Sveta is safe at home with her Mama and Papa.

Christmas Traditions

Most families have them. Some families have more than others. Some are fun. Some are serious. Some are downright silly. I'm talking about Christmas traditions.

Growing up on Sullivan Avenue in St. Bernard, my parents had some neat things we did every year. Driving around looking at Christmas lights, the "Mystery Gift" and listening to Dad's 8 track Christmas tapes as we decorated the tree. I have nothing but fond memories of the Christmases spent with my parents and two siblings. In addition, every Christmas Eve would be spent with my Grandma and Grandpa Meyer at their house in Mt. Healthy. A few blocks up the street from their house was the manger located at the Paul R. Young funeral home. We'd visit the manger EVERY YEAR! What's the big deal you ask? Mangers are a dime a dozen at Christmas time, right? Right, but this one is special. Many years ago Paul Young created very life-like wax figures for the manger in front of the funeral home. He placed them in a barn-like structure made of wood and straw. There were live sheep and donkeys too. I'm telling you, it was something I looked forward to every year. The place was magical and it still is.

When I started dating Tami in 1989, I wanted to take her and Jessi to this magical place. We went that first year together and have not missed a Christmas since. It's one of our most special traditions. Of course, Michael and Abby have now been many times as well. I remember one year, the weather was particularly nasty. The roads were snowy, icy and treacherous. We told the kids we probably wouldn't be able to visit the manger. Michael nearly came unglued. Christmas (in his mind) could not happen without this traditional trek. Guess what we did? We packed the kids in the car and slipped and slid to the manger. Who am I to deny my children the wonder of Christmas? I don't regret it. Especially since it reinforces the true meaning of the Christmas season. The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

We have another tradition too. Every year we visit two houses that go all out with their Christmas light displays. They are within a stone's throw of each other and call themselves the North Pole and the South Pole. Both places you park the car and walk through the yards looking at the displays. The North Pole even has a garage set up as Santa's Workshop. You walk in to be greeted by electric trains and about a million christmas toys and decorations. Our kids love it to this day.

Tonight Tami and I will make this trip for the 23rd time together. Michael and Abby look forward to it every year. Jessi used to love it too, but she has a family of her own now and lives an hour away. I'm already making plans to take our Sveta to the manger, the North Pole and the South Pole next year. This tradition that began when I was a small boy will very soon be carried on with my granddaughter and hopefully many more grandchildren in the future. I can't wait for that!

A Happy Goodbye

Today we said our goodbyes to Jessi and Barry. It was the last time we'd see them before they fly to Russia. They fly out Saturday afternoon and will get to visit with Sveta for several days before the court date. The court date is scheduled for December 23rd at 10:00 A.M. (That will be 1 A.M. here at home. Basically that's late Thursday night, into Friday morning for us.)

I never thought I'd say I was happy to say goodbye to my daughter and son-in-law. Especially knowing I will not see them for Christmas or The New Year. Knowing I may not see them until February. But I was thrilled to see them go. Thrilled because I know when they get home, they will have my granddaughter in tow. It blows my mind to think I'm going to be somebody's Grandpa. Sveta and I are going to have such grand times together. Swimming, fishing, picking flowers, shopping for toys or any number of other fun things. Whatever she wants to do, we'll do it. It's going to be a long wait, but I'm guessing the time will go quickly. As my Grandma Meyer used to say, "It won't be as long as it has been". That saying never made complete sense to me, but now it does. It's been a long wait, but now that wait is almost over.

Sveta, your Dadushka is at home waiting for you. I can't wait to meet you and wrap my arms around you.

I'm not jealous

A professional baseball player just signed a 10 year, 250 million dollar contract. That's 25 million bucks a year for the next 10 years. Albert Pujols, arguably one of the best players to come along in a very long time will make $68k per day for the next ten years. That's per day, folks. Not per week, not per month... per DAY. Even when he is not playing, he makes $68,000 in a days time. Breaking down the baseball season, he will make $154,000 per game. That's approximately $50,000 an hour for a game that lasts approximately 3 hours. Taking it even further, that's approximately $10,000 every time he comes to bat. He makes the money whether he hits a home run or strikes out. Even the best hitters only get a hit 30%-40% of the time.

Am I the only one who thinks this is totally ridiculous? Believe me, I'm not speaking out of jealousy. I am content. I am more than satisfied with what The Lord has graciously provided for me and my family. I am simply marveling at the absurdity of all this. The world is so out of whack, I don't even know what to say...

As I read somewhere this week... "Money can't buy you happiness, but you can rent a smile for a very long time." I don't quote this because I think it's true. I quote this because I found it humorous. Money won't fulfill us. We think it will, but it won't. If I had an extra $10,000 this year, would I do something honorable with it? Honestly, probably not. I'd most likely fritter it away on something I didn't need. The point being... there is only One who can fulfill. Jesus is the constant. Everything else is just stuff.

Mr. Pujols, congratulations on landing the second largest contract in baseball history. I have no idea how many gazillion dollar houses you will buy with all that cash. However, as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord. Joshua 24:15

Court Date GRANTED!

It's always darkest before the dawn. Just when I thought the Russian adoption process would never move forward, God decided to show me how wrong I was and how great He is. On Wednesday morning, Jessi called and uttered the words I have yearned to hear for ever so long. "We have a court date!". I was at school at the time and I nearly broke down into tears of joy right there. However, I held it together and just said how happy I was. I felt like the expectant grandfather whose pregnant daughter had just gone into labor. All I could think was, "This is REALLY going to happen!".

At this point it looks as if Jessi and Barry will fly on December 17th or 18th. They will stand before the Russian judge on the 22nd or 23rd. What incredible news! Just in time for Christmas.

Just when my sweet Sveta will get home is difficult to say. Jessi and Barry will be in Russia for 4-6 weeks. I'm very eager for Sveta to get here, but now that I know something I feel like I can wait for that incredible day when I first get to meet my granddaughter.

This is proof positive... prayer works. God deserves all the glory in this adoption and He shall have it. Praise the Lord for what he has done so far and praise be to God for what He will do on the final leg of this long journey. Thank you to all who prayed with us during this time.

No news is...

As the saying goes... No news is good news. This is not the case today. Jessi reports that she has heard absolutely nothing from Russia and isn't even sure the judge granted "V" an appointment to see him. We know just as much today as we knew yesterday, last week and last month... NOTHING! If you think my words sound impatient, you're correct. It's difficult to wait. It's difficult thinking we may finally move forward and then nothing happens. Here's a snippet from Jessi's blog that may give you some insight...

Every day I wake up, I realize that my little girl is waking from a nap, and preparing to eat dinner…a dinner that probably won’t fill her completely as is eerily similar to the lunch she ate earlier. Then she will play alone, or with children that are younger than her, and she will go to bed: without a bedtime story, without a kiss on the forehead, without a prayer, without being tucked in by a loving parent.

This is why I want Sveta to come home so badly. I know what her life is like in a Russian orphanage, and I know what her life will be like here. My heart breaks for the wait Jessi and Barry are enduring. It breaks for Sveta who is missing another day of unconditional love.

As is always the case, you look for something positive when things seem bleak. Jessi also reports that a team from the Boaz Project is planning a trip to Gus Khrystalny later in the month and will be able to check on Sveta. It's not the same as having her home, but at least they can have a first hand account of her well being. We have to latch onto these nuggets and keep praying. Praying continually for my granddaughter, for the judge, for Jessi and Barry. I love you, Sveta. I've never met you, but I love you more than I ever felt possible.

Keep Praying!

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the day, "V", the in-country liason travels to Vladimir to request a court date for Jessi and Barry. Please pray that "V" is able to speak with the judge and he allows Jessi and Barry to have a court date very soon. The quicker they have a court date, the quicker our dear Sveta can come home where she belongs. This has been a very long, drawn out process. There has been one stumbling block after another. But we know it will all be worth it when she gets here. I know I sound like an expectant grandfather (that's because I am!), but I am growing more and more eager with anticipation as I await her arrival. Please everyone, keep praying.

We'll leave the "Lights" on for you

Today was the day I put up all the exterior Christmas lights. I got a late start, had multiple interruptions and encountered many more difficulties than usual when nearly half my strands didn't work. I strongly considered just giving up and not decorating outside this year. After all, my kids are now in high school and don't seem to mind if the lights go up or not. They both refused my requests for help with the project anyway. However, I decided to press on.

Things progressed very slowly as I encountered problem after problem. I was about to throw in the towel again when my neighbor came over to chat and check out my work. I mentioned my shortage of working strands of lights. She said she had two brand new strands that she didn't want and asked if I wanted them. As it turned out, it was exactly what I needed to successfully complete the project. 7 hours later, the house was glowing with several thousand twinkling lights.

As we have decorated our home to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our family has decided to leave the christmas tree and lights up until Sveta gets home from Russia. We hope and pray the decorations aren't up for too long after the new year, but we are committed to leaving them up for as long as it takes. I really don't want to take the lights down in the warmth of spring or the heat of summer... but I will if it takes that long for her to get home.

As I was hanging the lights on the gutter and draping the bushes with sparkling strands, all I could think of was seeing Sveta's face filled with wonder as she sees Grandma and Grandpa's house for the first time. That will make every bit of my troubles worth it.

So, Sveta, my love, hurry home to see grandma and grandpa's Christmas tree and pretty decorations. We'll leave the "Lights" on for you.

Ballerinas, tutus and men in tights

Our school took the students on a field trip to see the Nutcracker Ballet at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. This is not the Cincinnati Ballet Company at Music Hall, but it featured some really talented kids. I must confess I was very skeptical going in. Ballerinas in tutus, men in tights showing way more than I care to see, sugar plum fairies prancing and twirling around the stage. It was 2 hours long and I was dreading trying to keep my wild savages from bouncing off the walls. Much to my pleasant surprise it was actually a very good show. It kept the attention of my students and it kept my attention too. Cool costumes, some neat dancing, pretty scenery and some wonderful music. I'm not saying I'm buying season tickets to the ballet, but I consider myself a little more cultured today.

I'm sure you've all heard portions of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. Parts of this very famous piece of music are heard in many movies, TV shows, commercials and practically every shopping mall in the world at Christmas time.

We had a good time, but I really could have done without seeing guys in tights. That's just gross!

Progress?

As you may know, the adoption of my granddaughter, Sveta, has been stalled for a quite a while now. We have been (not-so-patiently) waiting for the process to move forward. We got news recently that progress may be made during the upcoming week. The in-country contact, known as "V", lives 6 hours by train outside the city. She does nearly all the legwork by phone and e-mail. However, this week "V" will be in the city and will be visiting the judge in person. We are hopeful face to face meetings will be far more effective than the phone and e-mail. Of course there is no guarantee this will speed the process, but it seems better than the shoddy communication the court seems to have with "V". In addition, "V" has a young child that recently had surgery. I'm sure she was more concerned with her own child than with her work in Sveta's adoption. Rightfully so. I don't blame the woman at all. However, the bottom line is the adoption (currently at a standstill) may soon move forward. This is our solemn prayer.

Thanksgiving is wonderful, but...

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time. See my previous post for reasons. Aside from all that, I get a 5 day weekend. That can't be bad, right?

I really enjoy everything related to Thanksgiving, but it's what it leads to that bothers me. No, I'm not talking about weight gain and indigestion. I'm not talking about a turkey induced coma either. I'm referring to the dreaded "W" word. W-w-w---wi-wi---win-win-win---Winter. There. I said it. Winter. Other than Christmas (which will be a later post), there is absolutely nothing positive about winter. I don't like the cold, I can't stand the ice and snow. I despise shoveling my driveway. I dread the darkness at 4 in the afternoon. I shudder at the thought of being cooped up in the house for months on end. Snow days you say? Teachers love snow days, right? WRONG! It is nice to have a momentary break from the drudgery and grind of work. But the long-term implications of a snow day make them totally not worth it. The disruption the the schedule, the revamping of lesson plans and of course if you pile up enough snow days, you get to make them up in the summer time. No thank you.

Even though my retirement is a long way off, I still have plans and dreams. Just like my mom and Cliff, I plan on retreating to a warmer climate in the coldest, darkest days of winter. I'm not talking about buying a million dollar beach house. I'm talking about renting a simple little place off the coast, and soaking up some sun in mid January.

Winter is horrible and it only gets worse as I get older. The only snowballs I want to see are coconut covered snack cakes in the grocery aisle.

Tami's Favorite Holiday

Thanksgiving week is upon us. Tami loves the autumn season and especially loves Thanksgiving. We should always count our blessings, but Thanksgiving is the holiday that brings those blessings to the forefront our minds.

For many, Thanksgiving is about eating turkey dinners, family gatherings and watching football on TV. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all those things and find nothing at all wrong with them. But I also want the holiday to be about what is most important... Thanking God for all he has provided and blessed my family with. We have everything we need and so much more. We want for nothing. We have good health. Michael's collapsed lung and subsequent surgery aside, we have no major health problems in the family. I have a decent paying job with benefits. I have the love of a wonderful wife, 3 terrific children, a Christian son-in-law who treats my daughter like a queen. I have a granddaughter who (God willing) will soon be arriving from Russia to start a new life in the United States. I have a church that teaches directly from the Bible and preaches the Gospel every week. I have a church family who loves my family unconditionally.

I ask you... what more could a man ask for? The answer is nothing. I have way more than I deserve. I haven't earned any of this. God has provided it through His mercy and grace. I have no cause to complain (even though I frequently do). I'm often stuck with too much week at the end of my paycheck. I often see what others have and find myself selfishly wishing I had the same. How completely and utterly greedy of me. How Dare I wish for more than I have? God showers me with riches and all I can do is wish I had more? I have enough. His blessings are sufficient.

I don't want this post to be cheesy or cliche'. But I guess being thankful on Thanksgiving is going be naturally cliche'. So be it.

Grammar Rant!

Call me a snob if you wish, but the complete slaughtering of the english language by the general public is enough to drive me batty. This is not about the cultural stuff (using ax for ask, saying you is nice instead of you are nice). No, that's a topic I want to leave alone. I'm talking about your every day Joe American having no earthly idea how to use our language.

Hey youse guys, I have an ideal. Youse guys? No, you have an idea, not an ideal.

The use of seen/saw. The word seen must be preceded by have, has or had. I saw you eat my cookies. I have seen you eat my cookies. The same for gone and went. Gone must be preceded by have, has or had. I have gone to Florida three times. You can't say I have went to Florida three times.

The word is versus. On Sunday, the best game will be the Bengals versus the Ravens. It's NOT the Bengals verse the Ravens.

I/Me. Abby and I went to a movie. Tami wanted to go to the movie with Abby and me.

Don't even get me started on there, their and they're. Or your and you're. Or to, too and two.

How about passed and past. I passed a slow moving car. I would like to forget some things from my past.

Loose/Lose. I dropped a few pounds and my pants are loose. I hope the Bengals don't lose on Sunday.

Please say "DEAL" not dill. A candy bar for a quarter? That's a good deal! It's not a good dill.

Please say GlenDALE. I have a friend from Glendale. I do not have a friend from Glendell.

There is no such word as irregardless. Just regardless.

Saying big, huge is redundant. I saw a big huge fish in the lake! Pick one.
Saying also, too is redundant. Again, just pick one.
Saying, "All y'all" is redundant. I'm going to the game with all y'all! No! I am going to the game with all of you.

Remember back when we were kids? Uh... what other way is there to remember? You can't remember FORWARD! Remember when we were kids?

It's toward... not towards! You are walking toward the pond. You are not walking towards the pond.

If you use the word neither, you must also use the word nor. Neither/Nor. Either/Or.

There are ten deer in my yard. No such thing as deers, my dears.

Hear/Here. Did you hear Michael can't be here? Hear contains the word "ear" indicating listening to sounds. "Here" is one letter short of "there" indicating location.

Please don't end a sentence with a preposition! Where's Michael at? No! Where's Michael?

Listen Folks. I'm not perfect and I slip into my casual register quite often. But when the chips are down, I can write and speak very well. Oh yeah, that reminds me... there is a definite difference between the use of good and well. The pie tasted really good. Tami cooks very well.

I'll be singing in no time!

It's day 15 of the laryngitis nightmare, but I think the end is in sight. My voice is slowly returning to normal. At least now I can use it in my classroom without sounding like a dying bird. I can't yet put the "authority" in my voice that is sometimes required in my line of work, but I'm getting there. I sometimes sing along with my car stereo (c'mon, admit it, you've done it too) I still can't do that, but I expect I'll be singing in no time.

An unwilling mute!

Day 13 and laryngitis still has a hold on me. My voice is not 100% gone, but it is also far from being back to normal. I guess the stage I'm in could be described as "it comes and goes". I have short stints of feeling like my voice is making its comeback only to be followed by more hoarseness. A few days of this was a nuisance, a week was a pain in the neck. Ten days was maddening and now almost two weeks is nothing short of ridiculous. As described before, my students were willing to give me a break for a while, but now they sense my growing frustration and are capitalizing on my weakness. This is about the worst I've ever had it. I wonder if it's my age or maybe this is just a particularly nasty virus. It feels like someone or something has a strangle hold on my vocal cords. The sensation feels as if something would just loosen a little I could speak. Kind of like a kink in a garden hose. I'd ask that you all pray for me and my voice to be restored to full capacity. It is my primary tool as a teacher and I'm virtually useless without it. and no... I didn't do any shouting at the state finals, even though I wanted to. Do you see the irony in all this? I describe myself as a quiet and sometimes even silent man and all I can do is pray for my voice to come back.

All The Marbles!

What a day! Mary and her Summit Country Day teammates won the state championship.

The day began with a two hour drive to the Columbus Crew stadium where we had a little tailgate party in the parking lot before the game. We settled into our seats shortly before kickoff and then the game was on. It didn't take long to realize that Summit totally outclassed Shaker Heights Laurel. Summit controlled the ball and the entire game. The score was 2-0 at halftime and quickly turned into a rout in the second half when Summit poured it on to take an insurmountable 5-0 lead. With about 10 minutes to play, the coach started pulling the starters and playing the second string. The second string gave up 2 garbage time goals and that's where it ended; Summit won 5-2.

This was a proud day for the Meyer Family. The first ever state championship. We are so proud of Mary. After all her practice and hard work, she finally got to bring home all the marbles. Actually it was a medal and a trophy, but you get the idea.

I think it's safe to say with Summit losing but one starter, they will be ranked #1 in the state next year and the odds on favorite to repeat as state champions.

Mary in the State Finals!

Well... our family soccer star, Mary Meyer won the state semi-final game tonight. Against the odds, Summit beat Middletown Bishop Fenwick 3-2 in overtime. Fenwick was a team loaded with 11 senior starters. Summit has one senior starter (the rest are underclassmen). What an incredibly exciting game! Summit led 2-0 early in the 2nd half, but Fenwick wasn't going down without a fight. They tied the game at 2-2 and it stayed that way until the end of regulation play. In the 15 minute overtime period, Summit pumped in the golden goal for the sudden death victory. The crowd went WILD! Mary's dad, Kerry was just a little bit excited. Most of you know Kerry is bit high strung. I don't remember the last time I saw him so happy. What a neat evening it was!

Mary's Summit Country Day Silver Knights play for the Ohio state championship on Saturday at noon. The game takes place in the Columbus Crew soccer stadium. The Columbus Crew is the professional soccer team in Ohio.

We'll be there cheering the team to its first ever state championship.

We are all very proud of you Mary!

Bungles Better Than Colts

It's hard to believe, but our beloved Bungles are 6-2. Most so called experts said the Bungles would go 0-16, 1-15 or 2-14 at best. At 6-2 they are currently the #1 seed in the AFC. I don't think this will last and frankly I'll be surprised if they even make the playoffs at all.

That being said, how about our NFL neighbors up I-74? None other than the Indianapolis Colts. A powerhouse for so many years. A juggernaut with countless division titles and even a Super Bowl Trophy. These guys are 0-9 and are the only team in the league without a victory. Who woulda thunk it? A total role reversal!

By the way, did you hear there's a tornado warning in Indianapolis? Everyone is being advised to take shelter in Lucas Oil Stadium. There's no chance of a "touchdown" there. Teehee!

Who-Dey! Go Bengals!

Silent, but not by choice

Every year at this time I get hit with a bout of laryngitis. It always happens in October or November. This year is no different. I have been battling a cold for about 3 weeks and the laryngitis showed up in the middle of last week. I feel great other than having not much of a voice. This is the 6th day of having very little or no voice. To everybody else, this may not seem like a big deal. But as a teacher, my voice is my most utilized and most important tool. With no voice, I have no way of exerting authority in my classroom or delivering my stimulating lessons. Most people are probably happy that I have been temporarily muted. Tami doesn't seem to mind and my students are enjoying not having to listen to me. Hopefully whatever has a death grip on my vocal cords will let go soon. This is getting very old.

Soccer Glory

My niece Mary Meyer is a junior at Summit Country Day school. She plays for the soccer team and they are currently making a run in the state tournament. Last week her team won their first district championship since 1998. Today they won the regional championship which puts them in the state semi-finals. Kerry reports this next game is going to be super tough and Mary's team is not favored to win. It may also be important to note that the best player on Mary's team went down with an ACL injury early in the season. Regardless, they have overcome the loss of their star player and have made it to the state of Ohio final 4.

We are planning on attending the game to support our Mary. Go Mary Go!

To my knowledge nobody in the family has ever been this close to a state title. It will be fun to see how this all unfolds.

Oh yeah, another interesting note. Summit Country Day was a big rival of my high school. It seems very weird rooting for them. Kind of like a Bengal fan who suddenly has a personal reason to root for the Steelers.

And you wonder why?

Here's another post about why my job of teaching is so difficult. This is not a whine or a rant. It's really just a sad example of what I face on a daily basis.

This morning I arrived at school at 7:05. As I approached the door, I saw two very small girls standing close by. I didn't immediately see them because it is very dark this time of morning. I greeted them with a smile and made a big joke of them being SO EARLY for school. I also asked what grade they were in. They were not shy about telling me they were in kindergarten and 1st grade. I was appalled! What parent in their right mind drops off a 5 and 6 year old 90 minutes early to stand in the cold and dark? Keep in mind the students' school day begins at 8:30... and this is 7:05. Can you imagine doing this with your own kids? These two girls are just babies. We're not supposed to let kids into the building until 8:10. But I couldn't in good conscience leave these two innocent children to stand in the dark and shiver for an hour... I allowed them to come inside and sit in the warmth of the lobby. What kind of home life do you think these girls have? I know it's jumping to conclusions, but I'd make an educated guess and say not very good.

Still think teaching is easy? It's more than pencils and books. We're feeding these children. In many cases giving them free dental and medical care, psychological services and counseling. Every day I act as a teacher, disciplinarian, nurse, mediator, father figure, friend, psychologist, detective, care giver, coach, advocate etc. The list really does go on and on. I don't believe this is what schools are supposed to be. Teachers are not supposed to be surrogate parents, but this is exactly what's happening. Many parents refuse to grow up and act as the parent they should be. They are content to remain like adolescents and let the school raise their kids. The problem is... my hands are tied as far as what I can do as this surrogate parent. It's a lot like trying to fight an inferno with a squirt gun.

Our Sympathies

Anyone who knows my family probably knows our dear friends Mike and Betsy Annis (and their two boys Jake and Elijah). Last night Betsy's father passed away. I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to them. This is a very difficult time for them. However, they can also rejoice in knowing that he will now spend eternity in perfect paradise. He is absent from the body, but present with the Lord.

Stating the obvious

Tami and I have been watching coverage of the freak, October snow storm that walloped the Mid-Atlantic and New England. One particular reporter was saying how trees (many still with leaves on them) are toppling under the weight of the wet, slushy snow. The reporter then picked up a large branch and said, "This here was a tree". I'm telling you folks, I could not make this up.

First of all, the word "here" in not necessary. Saying "this was a tree" would convey the same message. Next, seeing a big stick with leaves attached to it is enough to show me why all these fallen trees have knocked out power for millions. You don't have to tell me it was a tree.

This here was journalism at its worst :-)

Raising, umm... Awareness

Tomorrow is Breast Cancer Awareness Day at my school. Basically if the kids wear something pink to school, they are permitted to wear blue jeans (a deviation from the uniform they normally wear). The principal was making his daily announcements over the P.A. system at the end of the school day when he uttered the following: "Tomorrow is breast awareness day at St. Bernard Elementary". The blunder wasn't noticed by the kids, but the adults sure noticed. You can imagine the jokes flying around the teachers lounge after school. So let me be the first to wish everyone a happy breast awareness day. Maybe I should bake a cake or something...

Tacos and Aliens

Be honest... when you think of Mexico, what comes to your mind? Tacos? Burritos? Illegal aliens? Drug cartels? Sombreros? If you're like most folks, that's what you think of. However, there is so much more to our neighboring country south of the border. Our church is currently in the middle of its annual Bible Conference. Our guest speaker is Dan Hall. Dan is the director of the Mexican Indian Training Center (we haven't quite figured out why it's called that). Anyway, the MITC is a campus in Cordoba, in southern Mexico. It's a place where people come from very poor outlying villages to hear the Gospel and to be trained in teaching the people of their village. It's also a place where American missionaries can go to serve on relatively short missions trips. There is such a need in Mexico. Some of these people have absolutely nothing and have no means of getting anything. I know what some of you may be thinking... aren't there needy people the U.S.? Maybe right here in our own backyard? The answer is yes. But the difference is all Americans, no matter how poor, have access to some sort of assistance. The people of Mexico do not. Why do you think they're clamoring to get across our border? Now believe me... I do not advocate these people sneaking across the border and consuming our resources and undercutting the jobs market. If Mexicans want to come here, they should do so legally. I'm only saying there is a tremendous need in Mexico. Do not be surprised if you see me and/or my family on a missions trip some time in 2013. Yeah, that's a long way off, but the need will still be there then. Just sharing my heart...

I Love Oakland!

Earlier in the week, the Oakland Raiders traded the Bengals for Carson Palmer. The Bengals received a first round draft pick in 2012 and a first or second rounder in 2013. The Bengals should be locked up for robbery. They got rid of a whiny, quitter and got a fortune in return. To sweeten the deal, Palmer threw 3 interceptions (including a pick 6) in his first game as a Raider. Thank you, Oakland. You may have fast tracked our poor Bungles into respectability in the NFL.

Taking Chance

Just watched a really good movie called "Taking Chance". It's the true story of 19 year old marine Chance Phelps killed in Iraq. The whole movie is the story of how his remains were transported from Iraq to the U.S. and then how the marines escort the body back to the family and its final resting place in Wyoming. Kevin Bacon (not usually one of my favorites) did an outstanding job portraying the officer who escorted the body every step of the way. As an American you cannot help being moved by this emotional account of PFC Chance Phelps' final journey home. Make no mistake, this is a sad movie. For all its sadness, it's uplifting in a way that makes you proud to be an American. It's only an hour and eighteen minutes long. It's worth the time.

The deck is stacked against me

Sometimes as a teacher I feel like banging my head against the wall because I see the deck stacked against me. This is not going to be a rant about the the lack of parental support my students receive or the breakdown of the American family unit being the cause for nearly all of education's woes... no, this is going to be a more light-hearted look at what I'm up against on a daily basis. These are true things that have happened to me in my teaching career. Not my colleagues, but me! Ready?

I have a poster of the Statue of Liberty in my classroom. A student in all seriousness asked, "Why is that statue holding an ice cream cone?"

After a unit on inventors and inventions, I asked who invented the airplane. The response? Orville Redenbacher. I said no, you're thinking of Orville Wright. The student said, "Oh that's right. Orville Redenbacher invented popcorn." Sheesh!

After a unit on European history, I was asking some review questions. One particular question had the expected answer of Leonardo DaVinci. The answer I received was Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh Lord!

Another time we were doing research reports on animals. A student asked for my help because he could find no info on his animal. "What animal did you choose?", I asked. The student replied, "The Pink Panther".

Early in my career, I decided to have the students bring in donations for the "Adopt a Whale" program (gimme a break, I was a rookie, okay?). A student asked if we were really going to adopt a whale. I said we certainly were. He innocently asked, "Where are we going to keep it?"

Here's one from the parental side of things... I have a parent who regularly picks up and drops off her child. She wears (almost every day) a sweatshirt that reads, "If you think I'm a b**ch, you should meet my sister". Seriously? In an elementary school?????

Here's another one involving a parent. Occasionally parents come in to observe their children in class. This is something we teachers encourage. Yep! Come on in and see why your little angel is getting an "F". Anyway, on this particular day I was teaching and kept hearing this murmur. I thought some student was talking and doing a good job of hiding it. Boy, was I wrong. It turns out this parent was on her cell phone having a conversation in the FRONT ROW of my classroom!

And there my friends, is just a small sampling of why teachers need that summer break. A person can only take so much :-)

Bookend Birthdays

Tuesday marks the 76th birthday of my father-in-law, the patriarch of Tami's side of the family. Happy Birthday, Frank! Thursday marks my son Michael's 18th birthday. He is the only male of that generation on either side of the family. That's right. He's the one and only grandson on both sides of the family. My poor son has been drowning in an estrogen ocean for his entire life. He has no male cousins. Of course you know what this means... the responsibility of carrying on the Meyer family name falls squarely on his shoulders. Well, not exactly his shoulders, but you get my drift :-)

And speaking of that... I remember when Tami was pregnant with Michael (at the time we didn't know the baby was a boy). My Grandpa Meyer was so excited for us. But he was also concerned about the continuation of the family name. He talked about that a lot and said he'd prayed about it. 18 years ago Thursday, when the doctor announced, "It's a boy!", I BAWLED. Yes, because I was happy to have a new baby, but mostly because I knew my grandpa's prayer had been answered. Thursday my boy officially becomes a man... and a fine one he already is. Happy Birthday, son. We are all proud of you and we love you very much!

My memory is slipping

This is a family friendly blog, so I need to tread lightly here... CNN.com had an article that basically stated that having a particularly good romantic interlude with your spouse may lead to memory loss.

Have I posted this before? I'm not sure. I don't remember.

Ummmmmm....Uhhhhhh.... What was I talking about again? I forgot.

It must be a sign of my age. My memory has really been slipping lately.

On second thought...

I deleted my post about the couple calling 911 because they were lost in the corn maze. A few reasons for this... In addition to the 3 month old baby I heard they also had a 5 year old with them. I also heard the maze had 7 miles of pathway. Okay, maybe a little larger than the one I visited last year. But mostly the post was a bit mean-spirited and I don't want to be that way.
So the event ended well and there is still a bit of humor in the situation, but I decided it was best to take the post down.

I'm the only one in this room...

Another favorite. A cop is doing a demonstration for a school group. He proudly states, "I'm the only one in this room professional enough to handle a gun"... then promptly shoots himself in the leg. It's only hilarious because he wasn't seriously injured. Watch it below.

Cop Shoots himself in the leg

I want to hear from you

To date, I've had 180 pageviews in my little corner of the blogosphere. First of all, I'm surprised the few people who know about this blog would check it that many times. Second, I'm also surprised some people haven't commented. However, it may be that folks don't know how. So I copied and pasted a post from Tami's blog to help y'all out. Wanna comment? Here's how:


Unfortunately, some of you have tried to post a comment and haven't been able to because you don't have a Google or other account.

So, I did some experimenting and found an easier way to post a comment. If you'd like to leave a comment you can bring up the comment box by clicking the bottom of the post where it says comments. After you've typed your comment in the box, choose anonymous from the select profile drop down menu, then click the post comment button. Voila! Of course, the trick here is to type your name inside the box with your comment. Otherwise the blog will only show it as anonymous and we really want to know who the comment is from!


If you get a chance, I'd love to hear from you. (Even if your feedback is negative) I can take it.

Cute Baby!

I won't be posting a lot of videos, but this one is too funny to pass up. The mommy is blowing her nose and the baby can't decide if it's funny or scary as heck. Check it out below.

Should I laugh or cry?

Rites of Passage

Michael will turn 18 on the 20th of this month. We asked him what he was going to do when he turned 18. He replied, "Buy cigarettes and lottery tickets". He was joking of course, and it really got us tickled. I can't believe he's turning 18. He does have to register to vote and for the selective service. My boy is becoming a man.

Heaven on earth!

It really doesn't get any better than this. It's Saturday mid-morning. I am sitting on my deck with my laptop. For the majority of the morning Tami and I have been drinking coffee, having a nice conversation, reading our Bibles and watching the kids go off to work. As stated in a previous post, the weather is as close to perfect as it's going to get. We have been marveling at God's creation, a lot of which goes unnoticed unless you slow down and really pay attention. Black walnuts are falling off the tree with a thud, squirrels are busy gathering in for winter, leaves are falling gently to the ground. We have nowhere to be and nothing to do.... and we like it that way.

Later this afternoon Tami and I are going to take a long walk and soak in the beautiful day. Tonight after dark we are going to have a bonfire in the backyard. The kids will both be home by then and we will roast some marshmallows as we enjoy some family time around the fire. I can't think of a better way to spend a day off from the stress of work.

I am just amazed at how blessed this family is. I am sitting under my gazebo in my backyard paradise. The paradise that in the summer teems with tomatoes and peppers from my earthboxes and where we lounge around our pool. The paradise that in the fall plays out scenes like the one described above. The paradise that in the winter taunts me as it is covered in snow. Reminding me that after the long, cold, dark winter... paradise will once again be there for me. I realize that if I didn't suffer through winter (and yes, I do mean SUFFER!) I would simply take for granted what God has blessed me with.

Life is so good for me right now. Even as I watch leaves falling from the trees, knowing that everything is dying as we slide inevitably toward winter. Even as I face the idea of going back to work on Monday. Life is good and I could not ask for anything more. I have everything I need and want for nothing. To God be the glory.

Mama told me there'd be days like this

Thursday was a horrendous day at work. The reasons would bore and/or sadden you, therefore just suffice it to say it was "one of those days". We all know that children are not always little angels. Yesterday they nearly put me under. But as advertised, this blog will not be a forum for me to whine and complain. I wanted to put a positive spin on an otherwise awful day.  When I arrived home I was not feeling too chipper. Tami allowed me to vent and then said we should go out to eat. Michael and Abby were busy so it was an easy decision to make. We went out for a nice dinner and each had a drink. I vented in the car on the way to the restaurant and maybe even a little during dinner. It was so nice to be out alone with my wonderful wife. She listened sympathetically to my trials and tribulations of teaching at an inner city school and offered kind, non-judgmental words of encouragement. We had a good time and enjoyed each others company (I probably enjoyed her company more than she enjoyed mine). Anyway, I wanted to use this space to thank my wife for talking me down off the ledge and for putting me in a much better mood. God sure knew what he was doing when He put us together more than twenty years ago. Mama told me there'd be days like these, but she didn't tell me I'd have a wife that would make yesterday's troubles seem like they never even happened. I am the most blessed man alive!

The easiest job in the world

I once heard a comedian (Lewis Black, I think) say the world's easiest job must be that of the weather forecaster in San Diego. Can't you just imagine the scene as it plays out on your television screen? The camera zooms in on the weatherman, a cloud free map behind him. "The weather today will be fair, mild, sunny and warm with no humidity. There will be a nice breeze blowing in from the Pacific. Now back to Steve with more news". The same scene must play over and over on TV stations in San Diego.

For the last 3 days in the Greater Cincinnati area we have enjoyed clear, blue skies. Temperatures in the mid 70's with no humidity. Just plain gorgeous is the only way to describe it. This weather pattern is expected to last at least another 7 days. All I keep thinking is, this must be what folks in San Diego get to enjoy year-round. I'm sure they have no idea how good they've got it. Let them spend a few days in Cincinnati in mid January. They'd count their blessings real quick. I'm counting MY blessings this week. This weather is unbelievable and only reinforces my desire to spend my winters in a warmer climate when I retire. Tami says she doesn't want to leave the grandchildren. I say, let them shiver their tails off and come visit grandma and grandpa where it's warm. They'll be here waiting for us when we return in the spring.

I'm sure there will be a lengthy blog post in the future about how I despise everything winter. People often tell me they'd rather be cold than sweat profusely on a hot, humid summer day. My argument is simple. I've never had to shovel humidity out of my driveway. So long, summer. I already miss you old friend. Hurry back!  

I'm EXHAUSTED! Thank Goodness.

The main theme of this blog has been silence or me being a quiet man. The very name of this blog says it all. I don't talk much and I enjoy my times of solitude when I can just sit quietly.

For this very reason, Abby exhausts me. Abby is the extrovert in a family of introverts (Jessi is extroverted too, but she doesn't live in my house anymore). Abby draws her energy from being with people and interacting with them. She is the proverbial social butterfly. She thrives on action! The rest of the family is just the opposite. We draw our energy from our down time. Those times when we don't have to interact with others.

One of the ways Abby exhibits this extroversion is through conversation. Putting it simply... Abby is a talker. She's never quiet. She admittedly talks a blue streak. She says she can't stand it when things are quiet and therefore (maybe somewhat subconsciously) talks to fill the void left by the rest of us introverts. Since she's been a baby (and still to this day), Abby gets a burst of energy right before bedtime. Just when Tami and I are are the most tired after a long day, Abby ratchets up the talk, cranks up the energy level and is ready to PARTY!

Abby's mind goes a million miles an hour. Every thought that pops into her head, also comes out of her mouth. The result is an overload of information for me. But bless her little heart... this is the way God made her and this is how she processes everything... aloud. I confess my ears sometimes have trouble keeping up with the verbal barrage, but I do my best with my little chatterbox.

Abby can tire out this middle aged man, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There's never a lack of conversational topics when we're in the car. The dinner table is often a blow by blow description of the day at school and what particular teenage boy annoyed her and how he did it. Watching "Survivor " on TV is accompanied by a running commentary. Sometimes we tell Abby to "Take a breath". She knows that means we need a little break from talking

Abby exhausts me, but thank Goodness! I am often reminded there will be a time in my not-so-distant future that our nest will be empty. A time when things are all too quiet in the house. Maybe then I'll be the one talking to fill the silence. Take a breath, Abby, but only a short one. I'm listening.

I love you, Sugar Lump!

I love me some dogs!

I love my Grand-Dog, Gryffin. He's a lovable red bone hound with the softest ears in the world. I love Chewy, the cute, furry little dog of my dear friends Mike and Betsy Annis. I also love the little white furball that once kept me awake all night while dogsitting. Kerry and Toni's very energetic Mia. But I dare say none of these dogs can talk. But this dog can... watch the video below.

The Talking Dog

Michael Reconciles With The Leaves

Well, Michael and I took a long walk this evening. We collected enough different varieties of leaves for the completion of his project. It also gave us a chance to have a man to man talk. I did my share of explaining and he did his share of apologizing for his attitude and admitting collecting these leaves wasn't so bad. He also thanked me and said he appreciated all my help. What a great guy he is!

The comic relief came near the end of our walk when I decided to drive my point home and let him know why it may be helpful to know what different kinds of trees look like. I asked what he was going to do if one day his own little boy looked at him with big, brown eyes and said, "Daddy I have a leaf project for school, will you help me please?". I asked if he was going to tell his son, "Sorry, I don't know a maple from an oak. I can't help you son." I felt like I really knocked it out of the park until Michael simply replied, "I'll tell him to call his Grandpa". We had a good laugh over that one. 

It was a good evening. I really enjoyed the time with my son. However, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness knowing he is almost grown and will be off to college before I know what hit me. There aren't many days like this remaining with him. Except when he brings his son over to collect leaves with his Grandpa :-)

Michael doesn't like fall leaves either

Michael is taking a class in botany and zoology. To say he doesn't care for it would be an understatement. Michael's M.O. is if he doesn't like the class, the teacher or if he sees no value in the information being presented, he puts minimal effort into it. We've always told him that sometimes in life you have to jump through hoops to get where you are going. He's not buying it.

The teacher recently assigned a leaf collection project. He needs to collect, name and scientifically classify 25 different leaves. Michael views this project as pointless. In his words, I can't tell a maple from an oak, and why is that important to know in life? *Sigh*. Oh youth.... If you're an adult and reading this, you already know the answer to that question. If you're not an adult, one day you'll understand.

Michael has asked for my assistance on the project. He knows I love trees and plants and figured he would tap into my passion for all things flora (I really like fauna too). Well, he collected 4 or 5 specimens on his own and asked if I'd help ID them. I said I would but didn't get to it right away. Michael hasn't collected anything more and says he's waiting for me to ID those 4-5 specimens before going any further. Flimsy excuse. He views this as me dragging my feet and thinks it's okay to wait until I get moving on things. I think he could collect more and I could help ID all of them at the same time. Michael openly admitted that he didn't like the project and was waiting until the last possible minute to do it. That's his choice (he is a senior after all). But when he enlists my help, his procrastination affects my life and that's not okay with me.

Sunday morning after church, I suggested taking a walk and collecting some leaves for the project. It was a GORGEOUS day and would have been a nice way to spend the afternoon. Michael said no. He didn't want to work on the project. Then Sunday evening after church, Michael and Abby were hanging out and chatting with friends. At my suggestion, Tami and I took a stroll around the wooded church grounds and picked up a few leaves for the collection. I figured if I was waiting on the kids, why not do something productive? We gathered 4 or 5 more types of leaves. Here's my problem. Some of the other adults jokingly chided us for doing Michael's homework for him. They said, "Gee! If teachers do their own kids' homework, what chance do we regular parents have?"They were just giving us some good natured teasing of course. They weren't trying to be critical. But it did cause me to think. I'd already had reservations about picking up any leaves at all, but did so anyway. After the fact I'm feeling some heavy duty guilt. Some as a teacher, but more as a parent. Am I only reinforcing to Michael that it's okay to procrastinate and if you do, I'll bail you out? It didn't seem that way at first, but now I'm not so sure. Am I a terrible parent? Am I sending the wrong message to my kids? I want to do what's right. I want Michael to be his own man and not depend on his parents for every little thing. How much damage did I do? Should I discard the leaves I collected? Should I voice my concerns to Michael about what I did? I also picked up a few leaf identification guides at school. Did I further screw up? Should I leave well enough alone? He can probably get better information about leaf identification on the internet anyway. I'm in a pickle here... when do I cross the line from helping to enabling? Did I cross that line miles back? Am I well intentioned, but maybe to a fault? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I just want to do the right thing where my kids are concerned. They are watching and learning from me every second. The easy way out would be to not say anything. But being a good parent is not about making the easy decision. It's about making the right one.

P.S. --- To be fair. Michael has been working his tail off lately. McDonalds gets ahold of a good worker and they abuse his willingness to be helpful. He has been asked to work extra hours lately and he always agrees. He is generally a good student and a top notch kid. I would match him up with anybody... and I do mean anybody. I don't know of anyone, including adults who don't like him. He's the best (he just doesn't like his botany project :-)

Your SILENCE is deafening!

More on this quiet man. There have been a million occasions in the past when I've been silent. It is most evident in the car. I can ride for hours looking at the scenery and thinking of any number of things. My mind is miles away from what's going on. Tami's favorite way to call me back is to say, "Your silence is deafening". She couldn't be any more right. I'm lost in my thoughts. Meanwhile the kids are arguing in the back seat or somebody is trying to engage me in conversation. I'm oblivious to all of it. It has also been described as daydreaming or being "in the zone". Whatever you call it, it's not always a good place to be. Oh, I love it there, but it's not good for Tami and the kids. I don't go there on purpose. I don't make a conscious decision to tune everybody out. It just happens. I just drift there.

The problem used to be a lot worse. I think I have gotten better at not going into the zone at the wrong time. I'm not sure if Tami would agree. You'd have to ask her. I realized that my kids wanted to be with me. To spend time with me. To have my attention. I have made a genuine effort to actually be in the car with my wife and kids. We've had good conversations and even though I'm quiet in the car, my family doesn't have to wonder where I am. I'm right here.

Autumn Blues

I'd like to say I can't explain it, but in truth, I think I can.

Autumn (the fall season) depresses me. I tell this to people and they are shocked. "Why? The changing leaves are so beautiful!" or "Oh don't you just love the crisp fall air?". I know everyone means well, but autumn has always signified the end of things I really enjoy. Summer is over and it's time to go back to work. UGH! Summer is over and fishing on the lake is done for another year. Summer is over and it's time to close the pool.

Some very important people in my life have died in the fall. My grandpa Meyer died on October 9th. My dad died on August 31st (I know that's technically still summer, but it's close enough to fall for me). My cousin Harold "Ossie" Ostendorf died in October (not sure of the exact day).

Fall is also the season of Halloween. Anyone who knows me well, knows I have complete disdain for everything Halloween. I'm sure I'll get all kinds of grief for this. I have felt this way since I was very young. Oh sure, I went out begging for candy and ate it until I was ill. But there are so many things about Halloween that just plain bug me. The darkness of evil behind everything, the morbid themes, the so-called pranks (busting pumpkins, putting TP in trees, stealing candy bags from unsuspecting, innocent children etc...). I remember one particular halloween when my young son wrote a note and taped it to the pumpkin on our porch. It read, "Dear Teenagers, please don't smash my pumpkin". That only reinforced my existing feelings about this pagan "holiday".

You may say I'm a stick-in-the-mud or some kind of killjoy. I will gladly accept that label. I'm not talking about three year old girls dressed as princesses or 4 year old boys dressed as Super Man getting some candy on October 31st. I'm talking about the overarching ideas behind the whole deal and what many adults have turned it into.

I do enjoy some aspects of fall. A nice drive to look at God's beautiful handiwork in the changing leaves. Football season and the World Series. The fact that "it ain't winter yet".

But as much as I despise winter, the fall is not far behind. Give me spring and summer any time! You can keep the crisp air :-)

To God be the glory

Above all else, I want this blog to glorify God. I wish my every keystroke, my every post to glorify Him. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Without His grace, I am nothing. Will I sometimes slip? Probably. Well yeah, definitely. But there is only One who is perfect and I have chosen to follow Him.

Hurry Home, Sveta!

If you are remotely familiar with me, you already know that my daughter Jessi and her husband, Barry Morton are in the the long, difficult process of adopting a three year old little girl from Russia. Svetlana Grace Morton (Sveta for short) currently resides in an orphanage near Vladimir, Russia. To be more specific, she lives in a place called Gus Khrustalny. We pray for her every day and eagerly await her arrival home in the USA. The prospect of being a grandpa was a little strange at first, but I quickly warmed to it and now I can hardly wait to meet Sveta. She is already my pride and joy and she has no idea who I even am yet. Please join me in praying for Jessi, Barry and Sveta. Both before Sveta gets here and after. Our family is growing and I am so excited about all that lies ahead.

BTW- Gus Khrystulny roughly translated means Crystal Goose. I have made it my quest to find a crystal goose, leaded glass goose or something similar. If anyone reading this comes across something like this, PLEASE let me know. I want to display it prominently in my home as a reminder of Sveta's first three+ years of life and as a symbol of our love for her. To the casual observer it may just look like a dusty knick-knack (no knock on Tami's housekeeping, of course :-) But to anyone who knows the story, they will know everything that goose represents. And hey, I'll probably dust it once in a while too.

P.S. I'm serious. If you find a crystal goose or something resembling crystal, please contact me. I know they're out there. I just need to find one.

Why did you name it THAT?

Hello friends and family. Welcome to my blog. I've been looking for a way to express my thoughts and decided to join the "Blogosphere" to do it. You may be wondering why I named it "Silence Runs Deep". Well, first you need to know I didn't name it. Tami did. I told her of my desire to blog and asked for her help in naming it. We brainstormed ideas and tried to come up with something that exhibited my quiet nature. I also wanted it to show that although I'm a quiet (sometimes even SILENT) man, there are thoughts running through my head all the time. Sometimes they are simple thoughts (Tami would say most of them), such as, "I wonder what's for dinner?". Other times they may be more complex or DEEP. Hence the name for this blog. The sometimes deep thoughts of a usually silent man.

It probably doesn't matter to most of you what's on my mind. However, on the off-chance you are interested, I will post my thoughts on many topics whenever the fancy strikes me. I may discuss my faith, my loving wife, my three wonderful kids, a terrific son-in-law, a grand-dog (probably the only dog I'll ever love), my granddaughter Sveta who will be arriving home from Russia very soon or any number of my family and friends. I may discuss sports. Anybody who knows me knows I love the Cincinnati Reds. Knows the Bengals have been the epitome of pathetic forever and I truly don't care anymore. I may discuss food, cooking, gardening, grilling or anything else that involves the preparation and enjoyment of good food. I may discuss my job as a teacher. And yeah, I may even whine about it from time to time. But rest assured this won't be a blog where I whine and complain all the time. Nobody wants to hear or read about that. You all have plenty of problems of your own, you certainly don't need to add mine to your plates. I may discuss my adventures in lawn care or pool maintenance (exciting stuff!). I may discuss good books I've read or good movies I've seen. Who knows? Maybe I'll even post something that you find interesting or entertaining. Please feel free to comment and participate in this blog. I am looking forward to this.

Mick