My House is a Rest Area

This spring, a mother robin built a nest under our deck. We have been closely monitoring the light blue eggs and watching for the signs of life. A few weeks ago, the eggs hatched and we have since watched the baby birds grow from little pink blobs, to small feathery bundles to juvenile birds. In the last few days the baby birds have flown away and left the nest empty. This got me to thinking about what's going to happen this weekend:

In 3 short days, Michael will walk down the aisle, across the stage and will receive his high school diploma. This will close one chapter of his life and open a new one. There are so many cliche' phrases that fit... Where has the time gone? I remember when he was born. It seems like just yesterday he started Kindergarten etc... No matter how you look at it, time has flown by and our baby boy is graduating from high school.

This has been a transition year for our family. Allow me to explain: Michael was always a homebody. He never did much socially and just enjoyed spending time at home. We would always encourage him to get out and do something, but he was never really interested. This year, his Senior year, things changed. He suddenly blossomed into a social butterfly. My son who never wanted to leave the house for anything, was suddenly gone all the time. Part of the equation is his job. He works quite a few hours a week. But aside from that he is pretty much gone all the time. I'm not saying this is a bad thing. I know it's part of the natural order of things. I only mention it because I miss him already and he's really not even gone yet. I asked Michael about his sudden burst of social activity. His response was something along the lines of feeling restless when he was at home and feeling the need to be on the go all the time. I don't think there's an adult out there that can't relate to that. I've come to realize my house is just a rest area for Michael. He stops by every now and then for something to eat or to change clothes. (magically food appears in the pantry and clean, nicely folded clothes end up in his closet). He comes home in the wee hours and sleeps for a while. The next morning he's up and out the door again.

All this got me to thinking about the mother robin and her babies. This mother sat on these eggs and tended to them. Surely she fretted over any sign of danger or threat to her nest. Then the babies hatched and she tirelessly searched for food, fed each one and covered them with her own body to keep them warm. Within a matter of weeks, these babies teetered on the side of the nest and flew off on their own... Ready to face a big, scary world on their own. Even a mother bird probably feels like something is suddenly missing. Right now Michael is teetering on the side of our nest. He hasn't flown off yet, but he's feeling the undeniable call to spread his wings and fly. All we can do is wait and watch until he goes out to face the world on his own. We, his parents, only pray we have done enough to prepare him.

Doolittle's Raiders

Most people know I am a bit of a history buff. I enjoy almost anything history related. I am by no means an expert in any given area of history. In fact I know a little bit about a lot things, but don't know a lot about anything. I am particularly interested in maritime history... especially shipwrecks and World War II naval battles. I have also been interested in anything related to aviation in WWII (the bombing of Pearl Harbor, dogfights over Europe with the Luftwaffe, the atomic bombs dropped on Japan and Doolittle's raid on mainland Japan).

Speaking of Doolittle's raid, here's a small description of the mission:
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands (specifically Honshu) during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The raid was planned and led by Lieutenant Colonel James "Jimmy" Doolittle, USAAF.

The mission involved 80 men (Doolittle's Raiders) and today only 5 raiders remain alive. One of those five raiders, Major Thomas Griffin lives right here in Cincinnati. Major Griffin is 95 years old and still makes public appearances. Last week Tami contacted the manager of Doolittle's Raiders and taking a shot in the dark asked if Major Griffin would be available to have dinner at our home on Thursday. To her surprise, it was no problem for Major Griffin to accept the invitation.

Soooooo.... as an early Father's Day gift to the men of the family, Tami will be cooking a delicious dinner for a dozen men and afterward the guest of honor will speak, probably tell some stories and maybe answer a few questions. It is quite an honor to have this war hero in my home. The men of World War II were most certainly the greatest generation and one of Doolittle's Raiders will be sitting in my living room. UNBELIEVABLE!

As a side note--- Tami scheduled this special evening and mistakenly planned it for an evening when I have to work. I won't even be able to be home to formally host this great man. She feels absolutely horrible about it, but I hold no ill will toward her for the error. I am bitterly disappointed that I cannot be home for this, but it was a simple oversight. Nothing more needs to be said about it :-)

I will have someone taking photos and I will post them after the big event.

One interesting story about Doolittle's Raiders--- Each man has a silver chalice with his name inscribed on it. These chalices are stored in a case with a bottle of cognac (bottled in the year of Jimmy Doolittle's birth) and each time a Raider passes away, his chalice is turned upside down. Right now only five chalices sit right side up. The story goes that when only two Raiders remain alive, they will open the cognac and drink a toast to their fallen comrades. Who knows, maybe Major Griffin will one day drink a toast to his fellow Raiders. Interestingly, the case containing the silver chalices is at the yearly reunion for the Raiders and is guarded by a member of the military. Wow!

Sveta Said...

I forgot to post a few things Sveta said when she was swimming on Saturday. You can probably file these under "I guess you had to be there" or "It's only funny to me". However, I'm going to post them anyway.

Early on I was attempting to acclimate Sveta to the water. She didn't like getting her face wet. I decided to go under the water to show her it wouldn't hurt her. I dunked my head, came up and said cheerfully, "Going under water is fun!!!!!". She wasn't buying it. She looked me square in the eye and in a very matter of fact manner said, "It's not". I thought that was completely hilarious. Maybe you are not as amused as me.

Later another child came up behind me and dumped a cup of water on my head. Sveta did not like this. She very sternly told the child, "Don't get my Goppa wet!" I felt like she was trying to defend me in her own precious little way. I thought this was very cute.


We also learned that Sveta loves chocolate ice cream and popsicles. Needless to say we went out the next day and stocked up on both. We are ready for her next visit. I can't wait!

Memorial Day

Today I am remembering and honoring those men who fought for our country. Some made the ultimate sacrifice and some came home alive. The freedom I enjoy as an American came at a steep cost and I am thankful today. God Bless those men who have defended our country and God Bless America.

Water Logged!

It's difficult to qualify the best day of a person's life. Yesterday has to be in the top 5. Sveta came over for her first swim in Goppa's pool. My wedding day, when my kids were born and yesterday. Days don't get better than that!

I got in the water first and told her to jump to me. She didn't want to jump, so I lowered her in slowly. I brought some toys into the pool, but it wasn't enough because she kept saying, "I need more toys". Within minutes every pool toy on the premises was in the water with us. We played for a while and she quickly developed a favorite game. Fill a cup with water and dump it on Goppa's head. She LOVED it! Me? Not as much :-) She eventually tired of this game (thank Goodness!) and decided she wanted to try jumping in from the side of the pool. She stood on the deck and I waited in the pool with outstretched arms. She was very hesitant, but with some encouragement and a promise that I would not let her go under, she said, "Catch me!" and jumped into my arms. She squealed with delight when she realized she had jumped to me and had not drowned. She scrambled up the ladder and was ready for another go. And go she did! I don't believe I'd be exaggerating if I said she jumped to me 50-60 times. Every now and then she'd decide to do something else, but would always come back a few minutes later and say, "I wanna jump!". Today my arms and shoulders are aching, but it is well worth every ounce of pain.

We got in the pool at 2:30 and didn't get out until 7:30. I took about a 15 minute break to eat, but other than that, I was in the water the whole time. Water logged indeed!

What a great day! It was her first time swimming in our pool, but I know there will be many more to come... especially if the weather stays as hot as it has been already. I only hope my arms and shoulders are up to the task.

I was half right

I was half right. It didn't rain, but the Reds did lose. It really doesn't matter though... we had a really nice time with Terri and Dale. A losing day at the ballpark is better than ANY day at work.

Going to the Reds game!

Tonight I am going to my first Reds game in over two years. The team is currently on a 6 game winning streak and have not been rained out in many weeks. You know what this means, right? The Reds will probably lose and it will probably rain. Full report tomorrow! Go Reds!

Memorial Day X2

Tomorrow is Friday and it begins the Memorial Day weekend. I love Memorial Day for several reasons. It is the unofficial beginning of summer. It's a 3 day weekend that leads very shortly to my summer vacation and most importantly gives me cause to stop and remember those who paid the ultimate price for the freedom I enjoy as an American citizen. I know that may sound a little cliche', but it really is true. I do not take my freedom for granted. I know this freedom comes at a cost, but like most people I have no earthly idea just how much that cost really is. Men have endured horrific conditions and witnessed unspeakable horrors in war to afford us the freedoms we enjoy. This weekend I will pay homage to those men in uniform. Those who fought and died for me. Those who faced things I don't believe I ever could.

Each day I celebrate a Memorial Day of a different kind. I remember Another who sacrificed everything for me. A Savior that gave all and paid in full the price for the sin of all mankind for all eternity. A Savior that suffered and died on the cross just for me. Jesus Christ rose from the dead, resurrected to be my Lord and my Redeemer.

I'm full of hot air

Sveta is coming over to swim on Saturday. It's going to be a great day for it... 90 degrees and humid. I've spent the last two days blowing up every type of pool toy and flotation device known to mankind. Rafts, rings, beach balls and water wings. I got light headed a few times, but it was worth every puff. All I could think about was my sweet granddaughter splashing around and enjoying our pool. We've been waiting for this a long time. I will post photos when I get them.

Countdown!

The title of this post is Countdown. You probably think I'm referring to the countdown to my summer vacation. While it's true I am counting down to my summer break, I'm actually referring to the countdown to our Western Caribbean cruise in July.

We are very excited about our cruise. This vacation seems special because it's probably the last vacation we'll get to take with Michael and Abby together. In addition, we won't be walking on egg shells this time around. Last year we were dealing with Michael's collapsed lung issues (and even had to stop at a hospital in Pennsylvania on the way) Our family vacations used to include Tami and me, Jessi, Michael and Abby. Jessi is married with a family of her own and Michael will soon be in college. It's not likely we'll ever take another family vacation :-(

Back to the countdown... It has become a tradition in our house to make a Countdown Chain in anticipation of a big and exciting event. Abby makes links out of construction paper and strings them together into a colorful chain. Each day a paper link is removed from the chain. The shorter the chain gets, the closer our vacation gets. As of today I think there are 46 links on the chain. When people come to visit, they either ask what the chain is for or those who know about it comment on the length of the chain.

It may seem silly to some of you, but it's kind of a special thing in our house. It makes me kind of sad to think this may be the last chain for quite a long time. Meanwhile, the countdown continues... 46, 45, 44...............

And on this farm he had some...

Everybody sing along! Old Mick Meyer had a farm E-I-E-I-O. And on this farm he had some... TOMATOES!

The tomato plants may not look like much right now, but come mid-summer my deck will resemble a jungle. The plants were put into the EarthBoxes on May 11th. At that time the plants were approximately 4 inches tall. In ten days, the plants have more than doubled in size. We jokingly refer to the tomato plants as my babies because I take such care of them and fret over them. I even pay somebody to water them while I'm on vacation (tomato sitter?) For the record, I don't talk to them... that would be just plain weird!

Here's the kicker... I don't even like to eat garden fresh tomatoes. I can't stand 'em! I grow them because it's fun and because Tami loves them. I guess you could call it a labor of love.

I am semi-famous within my own family for growing tomatoes and peppers. They claim I have a green thumb. As stated in a previous post, I don't possess any special knowledge or talent. I just follow the directions on the box, water the plants regularly and care for them well. No real secret there... you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort. The photo below was taken on Sunday 5/20. I will post another pic when the plants are mature and full grown. You won't believe the difference.

Last one in...

Last one in is a rotten egg!

The Meyer pool is officially open. The water temp is a slightly chilly 73 degrees. I need at least 75 degrees to get in. Abby floated around for a little while, but nobody else was brave enough to take a dip. Hopefully by next weekend the water temperature will be in the upper 70's. Sveta is coming to visit and I would love to take her swimming!

I spoke too soon

I had a student misbehaving. I corrected him and he began making faces at me and mocking me. When I addressed this issue, he called me a SOB. Only he didn't use the letters... he used the actual words. Oh the joys of teaching :-) Is it the weekend yet?

Feeling Better

Friday always cures what ails ya! I'm feeling much better today. I'm sorry for yesterday folks. Sometimes a guy just gets down. The weather is going to be absolutely gorgeous this weekend with temperatures in the mid 80's and lots of sun. The pool will officially open tomorrow. 13 more days of school until summer vacation. Things are looking up!

Life is good, but not always

The majority of posts on this blog are happy, good-natured, feel good stories. I spend a lot of time talking about how I am so proud of my kids, what a wonderful; wife I have and the fun times I have working out in the yard. I absolutely hate conflict and controversy, so I avoid topics on this blog that may cause either of those. However, if all I ever did was pump sunshine, I would be quite disingenuous. Sometimes life is not sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it downright stinks. I'll try not to make this a rant or a major gripe session, but here's what's on my mind today.

For the last 22 years I have taught in a public school district that has transitioned from suburban to inner city. This is the school I attended as a child and grew up in. It was a great place back then. Today that is far from the case. Say what you want about socio-economics and its relationship to schools. I'm here to tell you folks, the two are directly related. There are a number of reasons for this (which I will refrain from discussing), but suffice it to say it makes a difference. I'm not saying rich people=good schools and poverty stricken people=bad schools. I'm not saying that at all, but there are correlations. I think the state of public education in the U.S. is not as good as it used to be. I think the reason for this is fairly simple (simple to identify, but not simple to fix). It's the breakdown of the American family. This breakdown has affected every aspect of our society, but I think it is especially evident in public schools (generally speaking, of course).

This brings me to the main thing on my mind today. The complete and utter disrespect shown to me on a daily basis by the majority of my students. I'm not talking about kids having a little bit of an attitude problem or just causing a little bit of mischief. All kids have an attitude problem from time to time. Heck, as wonderful as my own children are, they are not immune to having a cruddy attitude occasionally. I'm talking about overt, blatant, in-your-face disrespect. To cite too many examples would make this post too lengthy and would probably shock you. Most people tend to envision schools today as the same schools they attended 20, 30 and 40 years ago. They're not. In today's schools children talk back, shout at and ignore the instructions of teachers. Imagine giving a child a specific (and polite) instruction and having that child look at you and then turn back to what they were doing, thus completely ignoring what they were asked to do. Imagine a second request with a little more force behind it only to have the child turn, look at you and then ignore you again. I ask you, would you have ever done this? Would you accept this from your own children? I'm guessing your answer would be no. What about this one? My students were recently standing in line and they were supposed to be quiet. One student was turned around and talking loudly. I politely and respectfully asked the student to stop talking and turn around. The student looked directly into my eyes and said, "YOU turn around!". These are only a few small (and relatively mild) examples of what I deal with daily. What makes it worse is there are no consequences that can be imposed when such behaviors occur. We can take away recess. Most kids don't really care about that and sometimes even laugh about it. We are not permitted to keep kids after school without contacting parents first. Most parents screen their calls and will not answer when they see the school calling. A suspension is a vacation from school. That's not a negative consequence. Essentially my hands are tied where any type of discipline is concerned. To compound the problem, most parents are not supportive of the teacher. If their child is in trouble, they want to blame the teacher and claim their child is innocent and would never do what they have been accused of. These are the same parents who wear a shirt into the school that says, "If you think I'm a B****, you should meet my daughter". Or a really tight fitting shirt that says, "Shakin' It!". Keep in mind I teach at an elementary school. Now you may know why I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

Well... I said I didn't want this to be a rant. Maybe it kind of was. I'm sorry for going on and on. You all can probably hear the stress and frustration in my words. I'm not a complainer by nature. I am generally even keeled and not quick to anger. However I am human and sometimes life gets to me. Tomorrow's Friday. I'll get happy again soon.

Shopping? No thank you!

Today is a good day. The kids finished school yesterday and are now officially on summer vacation. I am not on summer vacation. I still have three and a half difficult weeks of school left. It's a good day regardless. I always say I'd rather my kids be off than me. I'm really happy for them. For his first day of vacation, Michael was going to take a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo with his friends. However, he was called in to work at the last minute and had to cancel his plans. I am very proud of how he handled this change of plans. Not only did he willingly tell his boss he'd work (no prodding from parents necessary), he actually said he is excited to be getting so many hours at work. How grown up is that? I don't do well when fun plans are cancelled because of extra work. I applaud Michael's mature behavior (maybe more mature than his dad). He really is growing up. For Abby's first day off, she gets to go shopping with her mom. Does it get any better than shopping for a teenager? Actually, yes, it does get better. Jessi and Sveta are going to join the shopping party today. Tami gets to be with all three of her girls on a shopping spree. Please excuse me a moment while I remove my wallet from my pocket. This will probably sound strange, but I'm kind of glad to be at work today. I'd rather work than spend the day shopping (and let me tell you, that's really saying something!)

Let there be LIGHT!

This time of year always evokes memories of my childhood. Slowly, but surely the days are getting longer. The sun is hanging around well into the evening. By June 21st (the longest day of the year) it's not unusual to have remnants of daylight past 10 P.M. When I was a kid, we were allowed to stay out until dark. "Until dark" can be a relative time period. A child could argue he/she was home in time because it wasn't completely dark yet. But where I grew up there was an absolute that determined my curfew. The dreaded street light. There was a street light on the phone pole directly in front of my house. The rule was simple... be home by the time the street light came on. We kids were smart and could time (almost to the minute) when that light would come on. And believe me... we pushed it every night. But heaven help you if that light came on and you weren't home. Dad didn't mess with "Time Out" or no TV. No sir! He opted for the more direct approach in his discipline. Needless to say, we didn't miss curfew very often. I valued my rear end too much! Sitting down was not a luxury I was willing to give up. However, there was an exception to the street light rule. If we were playing in our own yard, we would often be outside well past dark. We'd play games like Ghost in the Graveyard, Kick the Can and Freeze Tag. We would also get an old jar and see how many lightning bugs we could catch. We always thought if we caught enough we could have a homemade lantern. Mom and dad would often be outside with us. We had a bench swing on the front porch and they would hang out on the porch while us kids played in the yard. Our next door neighbors, the Boeskens had a swing too. It was like having a block party every night. My grandparents lived in the apartment upstairs. They used to sit on their second floor porch right above ours. I remember they would drink beer out of plastic mugs and eat redskin peanuts while listening to the Reds game on the radio. I especially remember Grandpa's mug with a picture of Farrah Fawcett on it. The neighborhood was a vibrant place back then. The TV was off, there were no video games, computers, iPods or cell phones. Those were better times. Times we can never get back. Times when adults visited with each other on the porch and the kids played in the yard. Times when kids knew to be home by the time the street light came on.

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire. No, I'm not going to bore you with a lesson on world history. I just thought this would be a clever way of letting everyone know we got a new ottoman for the living room. It's dark brown leather and has a dual purpose lid. One side of the lid is a cushioned foot rest. The other side is a wooden tray for food and drinks. It is also hollow and contains two smaller foot rests which can be stored inside when not being used. We love it already! This is just another step to sprucing up the old homestead. You can file this post under- stuff that probably interests only me. Here 'tis!

Oh Mother!

Today is Mothers Day. The day I pay tribute to the Mothers in my life. First my wife, the mother of my three children. Early in our relationship I was afforded an advantage most men never get. I got to see my wife being a mother before we were married. Jessi was 4 when we met and 7 when we got married. One of the things that first attracted me to her was that she was an incredible mother. The things I saw from her astounded me. I learned early on that Jessi came first... always! and I came second. I was fine with that arrangement. In time our other two children came along. Tami only became a better mother over the years. There is not enough room in this blog to list the wonderful maternal qualities Tami possesses. She is loving, caring and kind. She is a godly example to our whole family. Proverbs 31:30 reads "A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised". Second, my own mother. Edra K. Meyer-Borges. Mom did a great job raising us kids. Dad was at the firehouse every third day and mom was left with the kids. We pushed mom as far as we could most days, but she would grab us by the short hairs on the back of our necks and threaten to tell dad of our offenses. That was enough to keep us in line (for the most part). Mom loves her kids and would do anything for them. It was always that way and it always will be. Now that all her kids are grown, and we all live so far apart, Mom relishes the rare times when we can all be together at the same time. All three kids are successful in their lives and this is a true testament to the job Mom did with us. Finally my daughter Jessi. Today is her first mothers day. Even though she's only officially been a mother for three months, I can already tell she's an amazing mother. Happy Mothers Day to all three. I can honestly say, I would not be the man I am today If it weren't for these women.

A new coat

A new coat of paint that is... I spent the whole day giving my shed a much needed coat of paint. You don't realize how bad something looks until you get close enough to paint it. I knew it desperately needed the paint, but gee whiz, I didn't know it was THAT bad! It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do. The thing looks pretty doggone good. I'm sore from all the work, but I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Things are really getting spruced up for Michael's graduation party.

About Abby...

Much has been said lately about my eldest daughter, Jessi and her new daughter, Sveta. Yesterday I marveled at how quickly Michael grew up and my amazement at how fast time seems to go these days. Today I focus my attention on my youngest child. Abby has a heart of gold. You will not find a more kind, giving, loving person anywhere. She suffers great angst when she deals with people who are not kind, selfish or downright mean to her and others. Unfortunately for her, the world is full of mean, selfish people. Abby was a very spirited child. She loved to climb. It was a daily occurrence to find her standing on the dining room table. She was also a very stubborn child. She wanted things her way or no way at all. When she was very small she was frequently sent to her room (for any number of offenses) where she would throw a tantrum. When she calmed down we would go in and ask if she was ready to come out and follow the rules. She would scream, "No!" and launch into tantrum part II. And so on... Abby was strong willed for sure. Abby is our little talker. Both of her parents are introverts and are sometimes challenged to take in everything she puts out there. When Abby tells a story... she TELLS a story. Every moment is described in great detail. We are working on summarizing skills. Let's just say it's a work in progress. We sometimes have to tell her to "take a breath" when a story gets too lengthy. She doesn't like us telling her that, but sometimes our ears can only handle so much. Today you'll find a different Abby living in my house. You'll find a young lady that has her parents wishing she had more confidence in herself. Abby is kind, smart and pretty. She has yet to learn this is a deadly combination. You'll find a young lady who stresses over her school work. Any grade that drops below an A+ is unacceptable to her (very much unlike her brother, Mr. a "C" is good enough for me!). You will find a very loyal young lady who would do anything to help a friend. You will find a young lady not afraid of hard work and one who has held a part-time job since 8th grade. Abby is going to do big things with her life. I don't know what God has planned for her, but I know it's something important. She'll probably have about 10 kids and be a great mother. She already has the qualities people see in wonderful mothers. But before all of that, Abby has three more years of high school. Then I'm sure she'll go away to college and our nest will be empty. This is not a day I look forward to. But it is a day that inevitably must happen.

Pomp and Circumstance

In just over three weeks, my son, Michael will graduate from High School. This is unbelievable for several different reasons. First the sheer idea that time flies. I remember the night he was born and here he is graduating. He's getting ready to start college and spread his wings and fly out of our nest. Second because we (his parents) had serious concerns about his education when he was in elementary school (well, mostly his mother). Michael has always been very smart and full of ability. But at the same time he was never interested in school or anything that went along with it. I remember evenings helping him with his homework and studying with him. He would roll around on the couch and hang upside down over the edge. Picture a boy 8 or 9 years old overflowing with energy, not wanting to sit still for anything--- especially homework. Tami worried herself sick over this and often questioned if he'd ever make it through school. On the other hand, I (being a teacher) had seen hundreds of boys just like this. They grew up, matured, did fine in school and graduated. Tami doubted me at the time, but has since said I was right. Michael did indeed grow up, mature into a fine young man and will graduate very soon. However, Michael still has a very low tolerance for baloney and puts very little effort into a class or subject that he views as a waste of his time. Right or wrong, that's how he's always been. I am curious to see how this approach serves him in college. Only time will tell. Michael has really blossomed the last year or so. He holds down a very good part-time job. He's never home and has a very active social life. I'm really hoping he grows even more in college. I'm hoping he puts effort into every class (not just those he views as important or those where he likes the professor). Life is a series of stages and Michael is about to exit his high school stage and enter the college stage. May the Lord bless you, my son. I have done my best with you. Now go out there and make me proud!

The EarthBox explained

My previous post mentioned the EarthBox (EB). The EB is basically a plastic tub with a grate in the bottom. The grate keeps the soil and roots off the bottom of the tub and allows water to get underneath. To plant vegetables, simply fill the tub with potting soil, add granular fertilizer, insert the plants, cover everything with a black plastic weed guard and PRESTO! The only thing left to do is water daily. With the EB it is impossible to over-water the plants. There is a tube at the top where water goes in and a spout near the bottom where water comes out. Add water until it trickles out the spout at the bottom. Plenty of water is retained for the plants and excess water pours out harmlessly. That's it. Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy! Do I sound like someone with a green thumb? Hardly! Any city slicker that can follow simple directions can have fresh vegetables grown right there at home. Here 'tis!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

I can hear Andy Williams crooning now... "It's the most wonderful time of the year!". Only this time it's not Christmas... it's spring getting ready to roll into summer. This time of year makes me feel so happy. School will be out in a matter of weeks. Vacation will begin. The pool is open. The Reds are on the radio almost every night. We will be spending lots of time on the deck, lounging around the pool, grilling out. it's also the time of year I get to plant my garden (yet another hobby of mine). I'm semi-famous within our extended family for growing tomatoes and peppers. I take very good care of my plants. As a matter of fact, we jokingly call them my babies. I don't have a garden in the traditional sense. The deer run rampant in Hidden Valley and they eat EVERYTHING in sight. Short of building a fence that resembles a maximum security prison, growing vegetables in my yard is out of the question. Therefore, I practice the wonderful hobby of container gardening. I grow tomatoes and peppers on my deck in specialized contraptions called EarthBoxes. Once planted, vegetables only need to be watered daily until they are ready to be harvested. My family thinks I have a green thumb. Boy, do I have them bamboozled! The EarthBox is nearly foolproof. This year I plan on adding to my array of plants growing on the deck. I am going to experiment with growing herbs~~~ mostly cilantro. We love cilantro and Tami uses lots of it. I've been doing some research and most of what I've read says herb gardening is easy, but cilantro is among the trickiest of herbs to grow. Well, nothing like starting at the top. What's the worst that could happen? The cilantro could tank and die. At least I will have tried. Best case scenario we are eating fresh cilantro all summer. Stop by the house this summer and you may find my yard looking more like a farm than a deck.

Chipotle!

Chipotle! Pronounced Chi-pote-lay. Not Chi-pole-tee or Chi-pot-l. It's one of my favorite fast food restaurants. Yeah, I know you wouldn't think of it as fast food... but it is! My favorite dish is the burrito with lime-cilantro rice, barbacoa beef, black beans, cheese, sour cream and extra hot salsa. It is quite delicious, but eating out is expensive and we try not to do it too much. Tami recently found a knock off recipe for this dish. These websites (Kopy Kat.com etc...) find recipes that closely resemble or are even identical to their restaurant counterparts. Anyway, Tami has made this Chipotle dish several times already and I have to tell you folks, it is wonderful! I could eat this stuff 3 times a day for the rest of my life. It is just outstanding! We have found the key to the dish to be the lime-cilantro rice. I never would have guessed the rice to be the key ingredient, but it is. Without it, the dish would be average at best. My wife is a terrific cook. You need only see the spare tire around my mid section for proof. And by the way... I arrived home from work today and guess what was on the menu for dinner. You guessed it! Chipotle... and I'm totally cool with that!

The Run for the Roses

I'm not a horse racing fan. I've only been to Turfway Park twice in my life. I don't bet on the ponies. I maybe made a few $2 bets when I went to Turway, but that's about it. I'm not a gambler. However, I do like to watch the Kentucky Derby every year. They call the derby the most exciting two minutes in sports. I would say that's debatable, but I watch nevertheless. This year there's a horse named Hansen running in the derby. He's owned by a local doctor in northern Kentucky. What makes this horse unique is he's white. I guess white thoroughbreds are fairly rare. I don't recall seeing many. A white horse has never won the Kentucky Derby. I'll be watching the derby today and rooting for the local white horse, Hansen. And if you're wondering... I did not place a bet. I'll just watch for the spectacle of it all. I won't be drinking any mint juleps either.

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today my day started out like so many others. I got up, went to work and was going about the normal business of a school day. Sometime mid-morning my cell phone rang. Caller ID indicated it was Tami. My heart skipped a beat. Tami never calls me at work unless it's an emergency... and I mean NEVER. I answered nervously. Through her tears she told me Michael had been at school but was now in an ambulance on his way to the hospital. He had shortness of breath, chest pains and low blood pressure. I'm no doctor and my mind immediately started thinking heart attack (or at the very least heart related issues). I remember thinking... He's only 17... It can't be a heart attack. Can it??? I also remember praying immediately. For his health and safety. For God to not take him from us... he's only 17! Under stress and having only a smidgen of information, your mind plays a lot of tricks on you. Thinking clearly is not generally what happens. As it turned out (as I'm sure most of you know), it wasn't anything heart related at all. It was a Spontaneous Pneumo-thorax. That would be a collapsed lung to us non-medical folks. But still... A collapsed lung? How in the world can a young, strong, healthy boy have a collapsed lung? You can imagine the questions whizzing around my head. The explanation was actually quite simple. Tall, thin teenage boys are susceptible to collapsed lungs. Who knew? Being neither tall nor thin as a teenager (or now) I never knew this could happen. To make a long story a little shorter, his lung collapsed twice more in the next six weeks resulting in surgery last June to repair what was called a bleb. A bleb is a weak spot on the lung that bursts (much like a bubble in gum). Since his surgery late last June, he's had no further issues with the lung. The doctor said he couldn't guarantee other problems wouldn't occur with the same lung (or the other lung either). Praise the Lord for seeing Michael through that difficult time in his life (and ours). Praise the Lord for continued good health for my son. I pray he never has to go through that again. He was such a trooper. For all the time he spent in a hospital bed last summer, he never complained once! Thank you Lord for a good year since Michael's collapsed lung. This is NOT a photo of Michael, but this is exactly what he looked like last summer. If you're a parent, you can imagine how hard it would be to see your child like this.

Happy Star Wars Day!

Let me be the first to wish everyone a Happy Star Wars Day! Never heard of Star Wars Day? Today is May the 4th. So in the spirit of all things Star Wars... May the 4th be with you! Teehee!

My wife the seamstress

Tami never ceases to amaze me. Today I came home from work and found that she had sewn her own curtains. They look terrific! If I didn't know differently, I'd swear they came from a store somewhere. They are so pretty. After the new paint job and the new pictures on the wall, the curtains really set off the decor of the room. I never knew my wife had such a creative, artistic flair.

Luther!

Tami and I watched an excellent movie last night. "Luther", starring Joseph Fiennes was the biography of Martin Luther. It started out when Martin was a monk and became increasingly displeased with corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. There were attempts to squelch his outcry, but this only urged him on more. He nailed his 95 theses to the church door and got the common people all stirred up. He was called on the carpet by cardinals and the Pope and he was was asked to recant his statements. He said he could not and would not recant. He also spent a great deal of his life translating the Bible from Hebrew, Greek and Latin into German so that the commoners and peasants could have access to God's Holy Word. At this time in history, these folks were deemed too stupid to understand the Scriptures. The priests were the ones who were to read it and interpret it for them. He did marry and had 6 children. Watching the boldness and faith of this man to take on the most powerful entity in the world at that time was inspirational to say the least. I knew the basics of this story, but never the details. What a wonderful thing to see where my Reformed Faith originated. Martin Luther... maybe the most important figure in "modern" church history. Thank you, Martin Luther for standing up for your beliefs 500 years ago and for giving me the opportunity to read God's Word for myself.