2013- The Year in Review

As a blogger, I feel compelled (and maybe even obligated) to offer a review of the year that was 2013.

To God be the Glory! It was by His grace and His grace alone that we've gone through another year. This year has been full of more blessings than I could possibly count. It also had its share of trials and tribulations. I'm getting older and my memory is not as sharp as it used to be. I am very likely to forget some important things that have happened in the last year. Please bear with me as I do my best to remember the highlights (and some lowlights) for the Meyer Family in 2013.

January-

Tami and I were only a few weeks removed from finding out that our Daughter, Jessi, was pregnant with our second grandchild. We were sooooooo excited!

Michael got his new (used) car and moved out of the house to live in a condo with some friends. That was (and still is) sad for us (his moving out, not the car).

February-

February 8th we celebrated the one year anniversary of Sveta coming home. After a long and grueling adoption process, our little Russian angel came home on 2/8/2012.

February 18th Sveta turned 5. She was and still is growing up fast.

Important only to me --- I got my new recliner. My life has never been the same since.

March-

Michael goes on his Spring Break missions trip, "Beach Reach". He is planning on doing it again this year.

Abby performed in her school play, "Guys and Dolls". Good show!

April-

On a cold April Fools Day, I attended only the second Reds opening day of my life. The Reds lost, but it was a good time anyway.

Abby received her learners permit to drive. God help us all!

As a rare treat, I got to take Sveta on a date. It was just the two of us and it was glorious!

In a span of about three weeks this month I got a new grill and a new lawnmower. I was one HAPPY guy!

Tami had a routine procedure done. She had her esophagus stretched. It's not nearly as scary as it sounds according to Tami. This was the result of continually worsening symptoms culminated by a choking incident in a restaurant.

Tami also started her new part-time job. One that would turn out to be short lived.

May-

We hosted a shower for Baby Morton. A great family gathering that only added to our excitement about the upcoming birth in a few months.

A wonderful Mothers Day highlighted by hand made gifts from Sveta.

Much to my chagrin I found out my teaching assignment had been changed.

Sveta's Dance Recital. Nothing but pure enjoyment on this day.

I opened the pool only to find out my pump motor had given up the ghost. Oh the joys of owning a pool!

June-

Hands down the worst month of the year. In what was supposed to be a joyous celebration marking the end of the school year, my sister-in-law, Maria, died in Phoenix on June 6th. What followed was a cancelled vacation, unplanned trip to Arizona and impromptu drive to San Diego.

While in Phoenix on June 10th, I got the devastating news that my colleague of 23 years and very dear friend, Nancy Long had died suddenly. She was mere months from retirement and only 53 years old. Crushing. Just crushing.

While Tami and I were in Phoenix, Abby went on a luxury cruise with her aunt, uncle and cousins.

Late in the month "Baby Watch" kicked into high gear. Baby Morton was due on the 4th of July.

July-

As God has a way of doing, He followed a very difficult month with easily the most blessed event of the whole year. Our grandson, Elliott Morton, was born on July 16th... and on his mommy's birthday no less.

There were false reports of my untimely death on Facebook. Mr. Myers (an assistant principal in my school) died of a heart attack. Messages such as RIP Mr. Myers caused some to think it was me. My name is spelled M-E-Y-E-R (no "s"). I'm happy to report I am alive and well.

Abby took a life altering mission trip to Mexico. She even celebrated her sweet 16 birthday while down there.

Tami and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary.

August-

I begin my new teaching assignment and my 24th year as a teacher.

Tami started her new business of repurposing and refurbishing furniture. The part-time job she started in April did not work out.

September-

On September 23rd, this blog reached the milestone of 10,000 page views. As of today (December 31), I am within a hundred of 15,000. This boggles my mind!

The Reds season ends with a thud. What a disappointment!

October-

On October 1st, this blog turned 2 years old. Unbelievable!

We took Sveta to the fair for the second year in a row. More unforgettable memories!

Feeling older every day, Michael turned 20 on October 20th.

November-

Abby pulls off a masterful performance as the "Plastic Politician" in her school play, Murder in the Knife Room.

My cousin Amy gave birth to twins. Welcome to the family Isaac and Aubrey.

I was approached by a church elder and asked if I'd consider being a deacon in the church. The election is in January. This is going to be a new challenge for me.

Abby found out she was hired at Perfect North Slopes for the season. This is a real step up for her.

Thanksgiving with the grandchildren was so much fun! They change and grow up every time we see them!

December-

A blessed Christmas season with the highpoint being Elliott's first Christmas. Sveta's lukewarm reaction to our gift was appalling to her mom, but hilarious to us. Some gifts are winners and some are not. Grandma and Goppa struck out this year.

My niece, Olivia Ruthman, got engaged.

In a rare, but not unheard of weather event, my school had TWO snow days in December.


Well. There you have it folks. 2013 as best as I could remember it. The more I try to remember twelve months worth of events in my life, the more I realize how truly blessed my whole family is.

Sole' Deo Gloria!

Not really for me

All this talk of winter has me dreaming of retirement. Dreaming of warmer climates and times of not having to put my nose to the grindstone every day. On a serious note, I know my retirement will be quite simple and subdued. I certainly won't be living in the lap of luxury. That's okay. I don't expect to and don't really want to. Having said that, enjoy the following photos of my pretend pipe dreams.


Who has this much money? Talk about traveling in STYLE!

Install a fridge and I don't think I'd EVER leave the bathroom!

This is the epitome of relaxation. Sign me up!

Pure paradise!

I've always enjoyed mowing the lawn. Now it can be turbo charged! Add a cup holder and I'd be set!

The Jacuzzi tubs are nice and all, but I like the view in the background.

Brrrr!

Here in Indiana we have been fortunate to have unseasonably warm weather the last few days. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. I woke up this morning to a dusting of snow and more seasonable cold weather. My disdain for winter has been well documented on these pages. I have made very public my desire to retire as soon as I am eligible and move to warmer climates in the cold, dreary winter months. I have tried to find some redeeming quality in winter, but as of yet, that search has turned up empty. I don't enjoy snuggling under a blanket with hot cocoa and a good book. I don't enjoy looking out the window at a fresh layer of newly fallen snow. I don't enjoy walking outside and being assaulted by bone chilling air. I don't enjoy waking up in the morning and feeling the cold floor on my bare feet. I don't enjoy feeling the cold toilet seat on my bare bottom. I don't enjoy shoveling the white death out of my driveway and I certainly don't enjoy driving in it. In about three days my mom and Cliff will be headed to florida for four months. I tell you, I wish I was going with them. Winter is just getting started. I shudder (and shiver) to think what I am facing between now and spring.

A nation in trouble

It's hard to feel good about our nation right now. Our economy has been in a prolonged tailspin. The slaughter of unborn babies is passed off as a mother's "choice". More and more states are legalizing homosexual marriage and a vocal minority of LGBT people are trying to convince us we're intolerant if we disagree with their lifestyle. Yet these are the same people who wanted a man fired from a television show because he expressed views that disagreed with theirs. Views that are not new or unique. They're over 2000 years old. How is THAT tolerant? The supposed answer to school shootings is gun control. I fail to see how taking guns out of the hands of the good guys is a way to get rid of heavily armed bad guys. You don't really think gun control laws will disarm criminals, do you? Drugs are illegal and there is no shortage of those on the streets. Apparently they are easy to get, although I've never tried. Remember a few weeks back there was a shooting at a school in Colorado? Up until a few days ago the only fatality was the gunman himself (Sadly a 17 year old girl has since died). I'll bet you didn't hear much else about that shooting, did you? Some of you may not even be aware that it happened at all. Do you want to know why? It's because the gunman didn't murder dozens of students and teachers. How is it that a heavily armed gunman can walk into a school full of defenseless people and kill only one person? It's simple. This school had an armed resource officer in the building and that officer neutralized the threat before he could massacre dozens of people. A case of a good guy with a gun using it for its intended purpose: to stop bad guys. If schools had armed personnel, I highly doubt these whack jobs would waltz into schools and shoot students like fish in a barrel. Notice these nuts don't often walk into police stations and shoot a bunch of cops. Why? Because the cops have guns and can shoot BACK! I'm not saying armed police officers in schools is a pleasant thought. It's a sad commentary on our nation today, but I am saying disarming the citizens at large is not the answer to these problems.

How did our nation get in this mess? Well, it didn't happen overnight. First and foremost, our country is quickly becoming a Godless nation. Our government is doing everything possible to erase God and Christianity from every aspect of public and government places. Look at the battles that are waged in court over the posting of the Ten Commandments in government buildings. This nation was founded upon and built upon Christian principles, but now those same principles are offensive to some and must be eradicated. This mess is also a result of many years of electing poor leaders. To be fair, I blame Democrats and Republicans alike. There's plenty of this knuckle headed-ness to go around. It's also a result of a dumbed down electorate. This will not be a popular view, but I'm sorry folks, it's true. Don't believe me? Watch Jay Leno do his "Jay Walking" segment some time. Jay goes out into the streets and asks common people very simple and basic questions about our government or geography. These people have no idea who the Vice-President of the United States is or where to find Minnesota on a map. But these same people can tell you every winner in the history of American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. The same people who can't tell you how many Senators are in the U.S. Senate are the same ones who can tell you what Snookie or Kim Kardashian named their babies. It would all be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. These are the people electing our leaders. It scares the living daylights out of me. When this nation first began, only male landowners were permitted to vote. I'm not suggesting we go back THAT far, but I do think a person should have to pass a VERY SIMPLE basic knowledge test in order to vote. Nothing daunting. I'm not talking about needing a PhD to vote. I just feel if you don't know who the Governor of your state is, you have no business voting. Perhaps if we had a smarter, more informed electorate, we just may get better leaders representing us. Not a bunch of greed mongers looking out only for themselves and their personal interest groups. Something needs to change or this nation will not be long for this world. The United States of America is not invincible. I'm not saying we're on the brink of collapse, but I am saying that's the road we're on if we don't wake up and change some things.

The best thing I can do for my country is pray for it. Pray for our country, pray for our leaders, pray for God to have mercy on this vile, filthy nation that so strongly rejects Him. I do believe things can turn around, but I also believe this will only happen if we pray these things specifically. Won't you join me? This great nation is worth it.

Winston Churchill was a brilliant man. He accurately said this long ago:

Christmas- One Flight Up!

You know the old song---

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go! The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow.

That’s the way it was for some folks in the old days. Not for me though. We lived in a two-family house and my Mom’s parents lived in the apartment upstairs from us. So I didn’t go over any river or through the woods to get to grandma’s house. I only had to walk up the stairs. That’s exactly what my family did for many years on Christmas Day. After opening our own presents on Christmas morning, we’d usually get ready and go upstairs to my grandparents’ house sometime in the early afternoon. These were my mom’s parents… Larry and Kate Ante. Celebrating Christmas with them was drastically different than celebrating with the Meyer side of the family. Like I mentioned before, we’d go upstairs sometime in the afternoon and I’d drive my Grandma Ante crazy by asking her when my cousins would arrive. Exasperated, she would simply say to me, “They’ll get here when they get here”. Could grandma be any more ambiguous? The answer is no, but the fact is, she really didn’t know. Finally after an excruciating wait, all my aunts, uncles and cousins would arrive and we’d all share a wonderful Christmas meal together. Just as it was with the Meyer side of the family, there was more food than we could ever eat.

After the meal we would all open our gifts. Grandma and Grandpa Ante weren’t wealthy people. The gifts they gave weren’t fancy, but I remember Grandma had a gift for everyone who was in attendance. She was a generous woman and would never allow somebody to show up at her house and not have a Christmas gift to open. It may not have seemed like much, but to Grandma it was big deal. I also remember Grandma’s wrapping paper. Being thrifty and frugal, Grandma didn’t buy traditional wrapping paper. No siree! She saved all the comics from the newspaper and wrapped her gifts with that. Nobody cared. We loved Grandma and we loved her gifts. Grandma loved to crochet and many times her gifts would be hand made. I always remember getting crocheted stocking caps, a crocheted Christmas stocking or even a horrendous crocheted sweater vest. Grandma never knew it, but I never wore that vest when she wasn’t around. If I’d worn that thing in front of my friends I never would have lived it down. They may not have been expensive gifts, but Grandma labored over them with love and nobody dared complain. I still have some of her hand made gifts to this day and I will treasure them forever. Come to think of it, she was pretty smart. Think about all the wasted money we spend on wrapping paper and useless gifts these days. The paper just gets torn off and many gifts are cast aside only to collect dust. The funny pages were fine for the intended purpose of concealing the gift inside and the hand made gifts are family heirlooms to this day.

After opening the gifts, the real fun began. Grandpa Ante loved playing cards (especially poker). He was VERY serious about his cards and would get extremely upset if he was losing or if somebody was somehow screwing up the game. He didn’t like inexperienced players slowing things down. The stakes were low (I remember everybody bringing various containers of pennies to “gamble” with), but that made no difference to Grandpa. The way he played, you would have thought it was the World Series of Poker. I remember watching with longing and waiting for an invitation to play, but alas I was too young. Grandpa didn’t have the patience for youngsters wanting to dabble in learning the finer points of poker. Another thing I remember about Grandpa Ante playing poker… He HATED wild cards. If anybody dealt a game including wild cards, Grandpa would spout a string of expletives that would curl your hair. As an experienced poker player now, I completely agree with Grandpa on this issue.

In addition to the poker game, there were various other wild and crazy activities at Grandma’s house on Christmas Day. There were games of charades that got completely out of hand. You’ve never heard a ruckus like Mom’s family playing charades. There were lots of other party games and parlor (or bar) tricks too. We all had a lot of fun trying to figure out the secret behind these seemingly mythical tricks. The explanation was usually simpler than your mind would let you believe and it seemed like there were new tricks every year. I also remember a variety of team games being played. One half of the family would fight (good naturedly) tooth and nail to defeat the other half of the family. It doesn’t matter what the game was, everybody was in it to win it. Another aspect of this family gathering was joke telling. There was no shortage of masterful joke tellers in Mom’s family. The telling of jokes would go non-stop for hours. Admittedly most of the jokes were off color and some were even dirty jokes. I got quite an education listening to the adults spin these humorous yarns. But what I remember most is the uproarious laughter that went along with these jokes, tricks and games. I’m talking unbridled, uncontrollable, belly busting laughter. Your sides would literally ache from the constant laughing. I will always remember that. This was quite a contrast to the relatively quiet and reserved celebration with my Dad’s family the night before on Christmas Eve. I also recall this celebration going late into the night and even into the wee hours of the morning. Unlike Dad’s family, Mom’s family would party long into the night.

Much like my pleasant memories of spending Christmas Eve with Dad’s side of the family, I remember with great fondness the Christmas Day (and night) celebrations with Mom’s side of the family. The two sides of my family couldn’t have been more different, but there were aspects of both celebrations that I loved very much. There are things from both sides I will never forget. These are things that have always been a part of me and always will be. I miss my Grandma and Grandpa Ante very much. It was such a wonderful thing to grow up with them only a flight of stairs away. They have long since passed away, but the memory of Christmases with them will live forever in my mind.

Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order tonight. My niece, Olivia Ruthman, got engaged to her longtime boyfriend this evening. Olivia is now betrothed to Mr. Tyler Jackson of the United States Marine Corps.

We have no further information at this time as Tami found out via Facebook.

I'll let you know the wedding date when it's announced.

Shopping

Folks, we have just come through yet another busy Christmas shopping season. As we speak, people are out at the malls clamoring for after-Christmas deals. There's not one retailer that's not trying to dump holiday merchandise at drastically reduced prices (proving it was grossly overpriced in the first place). Shopping is an activity that I totally do not understand. Many people go shopping for enjoyment. How this can be, I haven't a clue. If I go shopping, it's out of necessity only. Go in, grab the item, pay for it, get out! To say I dislike shopping is an understatement. Tami can't stand shopping either. Yet another reason I love her so much! We both avoid the mall (and all shopping for that matter) at all costs! Neither one of us understand the insanity that goes along with the hustle and bustle of shopping at a crowded, busy mall. We're both practical, simple people. There are thousands of other things we'd rather do with our time and money than go shopping.

With that being said, Tami and I took our share of trips to the mall in our younger days. Or more accurately, Tami did her share of dragging me to the mall in our younger days. You guys out there know what I'm talking about. You either go to the mall because you'd follow your beautiful girlfriend/wife anywhere or because the aforementioned girlfriend/wife asks you to accompany her. Either way, you go. Like it or not, you go. I remember the days early in our marriage of wandering around the mall like a wayward sheep, following Tami as she shopped for this and that. Later in our marriage it became okay for me to plop myself down on a stool in a mall restaurant and enjoy a cold beverage while Tami shopped. Marriage is about compromise, right? "Sure Honey. I'll go to the mall with you as long as I can sit at Applebee's and watch the Bengals game" :-) We've come a long way since then. We never go near the mall anymore and that's totally fine with both of us. It has been so liberating!

Not all of you Schleps, uh, I mean guys, have it quite so good as I. Some of you are still following your woman around the mall like a lost little puppy. Some of you Schmoes have yet to put a stop to the craziness of going to the mall. I'm here to help you fellas. I'll say this as plainly as I know how. STOP. GOING. TO. THE. FLIPPIN'. MALL!!!!!! There, I said it. It's that easy. I know you can do it. Need more encouragement? Check the photos below for proof:

This guy is still young. He obviously hasn't learned yet. The look on his face says it all. "Somebody help me. Please!"

This poor guy has been through the wringer. Look at the stacks of hat boxes and the fancy couch. This is no ordinary shopping trip. This is a high dollar shopping spree. He fell asleep watching the money fly out of his wallet.

This guy has his head in his hand. Can't you just hear what he's thinking? "How did this happen? I used to play softball and have beers with my friends. I'm a shell of my former self. What has become of me?"

Misery loves company. These birds of a feather have flocked together. Notice they are not interacting. They are all suffering silently in their personal pits of despair.

"Just wait on this bench, Honey. I only need to try on ONE dress. I'll be back in a few minutes". Yeah, suuuuuuuuuuure! This poor dude, has been waiting for a long while. He should've gone to Applebee's!

This is the look of TOTAL defeat. I know he's sleeping, but notice the head hung in utter hopelessness.

This guy has done this before. He's a real pro. Notice he brought his own pillow and a hat to shade his eyes. He must have been a Boy Scout. Talk about being prepared!

These guys have been here before too. They knew they needed something to pass the time. Thank goodness for portable devices that have the internet. They're probably checking the latest football scores. And... is it just me or are these poor suckers waiting outside in the cold? Those bricks look like they have traces of wet snow on them.

This is not Grandpa's first rodeo. He's been down this road more times than he cares to count. This is the look of a man who has had the life sucked completely out of him. I hope somebody knows CPR.

The guy on the left has been at this much longer than the guy on the right. Notice the mall walking shoes compared to the dress shoes. The guy on the left looks as if he is contemplating jumping over the railing in the background. The sweet relief of death may be a welcome alternative to waiting another minute for his wife to come out of Macy's.

There you have it, Gentlemen. Don't end up like these beaten down brothers. However, if you do find yourself at the mall, stop and have a cold one at Applebee's. Maybe I'll see you there!

Welcome back, Phil!

Today I am "Happay Happay Happay" because he’s baaaaaaack! Well, that didn’t take long. A&E, the network that airs our favorite TV show, Duck Dynasty has relented and lifted its so-called suspension of family patriarch, Phil Robertson. If you don’t know how or why Phil caused such controversy, you may want to crawl out of that cave you’ve been living in. The reason for the change is simple: MONEY. A&E saw the Duck Dynasty gravy train about to pull out of the station and quickly did what any smart business would do. It gave in to customer demand and reinstated Phil to all future tapings of the show. Millions upon millions of dollars were at stake and the network was not about to mess with cable television’s highest rated show. Welcome back, Phil! We knew you wouldn’t be gone long.

By the way, the new season of Duck Dynasty begins on January 15th. Can’t wait!

Uphill Battle

The difficulties of teaching in the 21st century have been well documented on this blog; Especially in an inner city school like mine. This post will not be a rant about everything that is wrong with public schools in America today. No folks, it will be much simpler than that. I teach reading and English to 6th grade students who come to school with very little support from home. They receive no help with their homework, come to school completely unprepared and receive no experiential learning in their family lives. In short, these kids come to school way behind the curve; Behind the eight ball to say the least. In addition to that, these students do not have reading modeled for them at home and do not have proper english spoken and modeled for them. With all that being said, have a look at the graphic below and you can see why teaching English to inner city kids is an uphill battle.

Zzzzzz!

Sleep is a funny thing. When you're young it's the last thing you want to do. Kids do not want to sleep... ever! When you're a teenager, it's one of your three favorite activities. The other two being hanging out with friends and eating. When you're a young adult you want to sleep, but your job and young children keep you from it. Now as an older adult I have the opportunity to sleep in on weekends and vacations, but I can't. My bodily functions and general old age won't allow it. Now I seem to fall asleep when I'd rather stay awake. When I have the chance to sleep, I can't. When I don't have the chance to sleep, I feel like I could sleep all day. UGH! I can't seem to win.

I used to laugh at the old people who would fall asleep in their easy chairs at family gatherings. It's not so humorous anymore. As an old guy with a comfortable recliner and a new hand-made blanket from my mother-in-law, I completely understand now. I fall asleep in my chair every single night. I am so comfortable that I usually sleep in my chair for several hours before waking temporarily to stagger in a sleepy stupor to bed. It could be argued that I spend more time sleeping in my chair than in my own bed. I love my recliner!

The Crossword Puzzle

I meant to post this 5 days ago, but completely forgot.

December 21st was the 100th anniversary of the first crossword puzzle. The first crossword puzzle appeared in the New York World Newspaper on December 21st, 1913. That first puzzle looked markedly different than our puzzles of today, but it makes no difference... I love them!

Crossword puzzles have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom's parents always did the crossword puzzle in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Whoever did the puzzle first would complete the puzzle in pencil, erase all the answers and hand it over to the other. I guess that was the only way to have two people do the same puzzle. My mom always did crossword puzzles too. I remember being interested in them and started doing the easy ones as soon as I was able. As I grew into my teens I started working on puzzles of increasing difficulty. When I met Tami I was thrilled to find out she loves crossword puzzles too. We have been doing crossword puzzles together for our entire married lives.

I find crossword puzzles therapeutic and completely relaxing. I love doing them on lazy Sunday afternoons, on vacation, on long car trips, and yes, even in the restroom. They are portable, require only a pen or pencil, can be done in short or long stints and now can even be done online. The crossword puzzle has come a long way in the last 100 years. I know I will be doing them as long as my brain will function. Thank you to my grandparents, my mom and my wife for sharing in the joys of crossword puzzles with me.

My Summer Job

I read with great interest this morning an article about a kid from Greensburg, Indiana. (You may recall this is where my grandchildren live). The article is about a young guy named Alex Meyer (no relation). He is a professional baseball pitching prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization who grew up and still lives in Greensburg. He is a very talented pitcher who will probably make his major league debut during this upcoming season. If his career goes as planned he stands to make millions and millions of dollars. However, as you know, life doesn't always go as planned. This kid is one blown elbow or busted shoulder away from losing out on a fortune. Mr. Alex Meyer must be one smart cookie. Why? Because he serves as a substitute teacher in the Greensburg Public School System in the off season. He says he needs something to fall back on in case his baseball career doesn't work out. I say Kudos, Alex!

This got me to thinking. Maybe young Alex is on to something here. Maybe I should become a professional baseball pitcher in the summer. This would give me a career to fall back on just in case this teaching thing doesn't work out. I hear the work is seasonal, but the pay is good. I also heard the traveling is a real drawback.

Here's the link to the article if you're interested. It's fairly short and a light read.

Alex Meyer. Pitcher/Substitute Teacher

Trivia King

It has become a Christmas Day tradition at my in-law's house to play Trivial Pursuit. We usually divide up into two large teams and battle it out. It's all good natured fun and these games have produced some fun moments over the years. In years past the family has made sure my brother Kerry and I were on separate teams. By THEIR estimation (not ours), the Meyer brothers are the two strongest players and it would be unfair to put us on the same team. This year Kerry had to work at the fire department, so it was somehow decided that whatever team I ended up on would have an unfair advantage. Please understand I do not think that highly of myself, but the rest of the family thinks I'm smart because I'm a teacher. The real story is I know a little bit about a lot of topics. In addition to that, I have a good memory for seemingly unimportant details and this makes me a good Trivial Pursuit player. By no means does this make me smart, but if the rest of the family thinks so, well...

Anyway, because of Kerry's absence and the potential for a lopsided team, it was somehow decided that I would be a one man team. That's right. It was me against the whole family. I labeled it "Mick -vs- The Mob". I liked this set up for several reasons. First, I got to decide the category for every question I had to answer. When you're on a team with others you have to sometimes choose a category that other team members prefer. Second, when playing alone there is no possibility of other people talking you out of an answer that you are fairly confident in. This happened countless times. It is so frustrating to know the correct answer only to be overruled by your teammates. Finally, playing alone was something I had always wanted to do. Thanks to the family for playing along.

The game began and to put it simply... "The game was ON!"

The mob jumped out to a quick lead, but I was not worried. I went on a little streak of my own and before long took the lead. Fortunately it was a lead that was never relinquished and I won the game. I'll leave it at that. I won't be gloating over my victory or claiming any intellectual superiority. The game was played in fun and yes, I would have said the same thing even if I had lost.

Merry Christmas

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 baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

Luke 2:11-14


That says it all. Merry Christmas!

The best and second best gifts

We spent Christmas Eve with our kids an grandchildren. After exchanging a few gifts we went to church where our son-in-law, Barry, delivered the Christmas message at his church. Following the service we went to dinner at the fine dining establishment known as Wendy's. Obviously the choices on Christmas Eve were EXTREMELY limited.

It was a wonderful night with my family and it was the second best Christmas gift. The best Christmas gift came over 2000 years ago when a young virgin gave birth to Emmanuel, God with us, in a lowly stall. The most humble beginning for a Savior, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. On that first Christmas night God became flesh to save the world from its deplorable sin. Alleluia! Christ is born!

Christmas eves of yore

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve. It seems like we just had Thanksgiving, but lo and behold, Christmas Eve is upon us.

Christmas Eve has always held a special place in my heart. For the first 33 years of my life, the Meyer side of the family celebrated Christmas on the 24th (Christmas Day was reserved for Mom's side of the family). My dad loved Christmas and I always remember how happy he was when we celebrated with his parents and his brother (my Uncle Gary). I have fond memories of Christmas eves spent at my Grandpa and Grandma Meyer's house. We'd all gather in the family room and look with anticipation at the gifts under the tree. Then Uncle Gary would say the prayer before the meal. At the time, the prayer seemed to take an eternity. But after a few minutes it was time to eat and we'd eat and snack on a Christmas smorgasbord (highlighted by Grandma's famous, bourbon-laden cocktail weenies cooked in a fondue pot). The recipe called for a quarter cup of liquor, but we always suspected Grandma gave the weenies an extra splash or two just for good measure. She claimed the alcohol was cooked off, but judging by taste, we could never be sure. Once we had eaten ourselves silly, the kids would beg to open the presents. Our pleadings were often denied because "it was not time yet". The adults would then suggest all we grandchildren walk up to the manger scene at the Paul Young Funeral Home in Mt. Healthy. We didn't realize it at the time, but this was a stroke of pure genius by the adults. It gave the kids something to do, got the kids out of the house for a while and the adults were blessed with a few moments of peace and quiet (probably the best Christmas gift any of them received). Once we returned from our mini journey to Bethlehem (aka Mt. Healthy, Ohio), the adults could hold us off no longer, the gifts were opened and the kids had plenty to occupy their attention. At the end of the evening, it wasn't difficult to get us to leave. We were told Santa was coming that night (as if we didn't know!) and he wouldn't come unless we went home and hit the sack.

It was the same scenario year after year with few variations. Things changed a bit as the grandkids got older and stopped believing in Santa. When the gifts received could no longer occupy the attention of teenagers, things changed as well. For whatever reason, things slowly changed over the years. Grandpa passed away in 1994 and the tradition carried on for Grandma's sake. In 2001, due to grandchildren now having families of their own and more scheduling conflicts than ever before, it was decided to break with tradition and hold the celebration on December 15th. This decision was not made lightly and was virtually unheard of in the Meyer family. I remember Grandma grudgingly (and not so quietly) agreeing to the change of date. Grandma was in poor health, but was not exactly on her death bed either (or so we thought). We were (somewhat) taken by surprise when Grandma passed away on December 22nd. By the grace of God and what could be viewed as a Christmas miracle, we were able to celebrate Christmas with Grandma one last time. This would not have happened if we had stuck to our Christmas Eve tradition.

Since 2001 we have not celebrated what is now called "The Meyer Family Christmas" on Christmas Eve. It is now celebrated on a mutually agreed upon date. A date that comes after a lot of e-mailing and text messaging between family members. It's never easy, but in the end we find a date that works for everyone.

Now the so-called Meyer Grandchildren have older children and in my case I am a Grandpa myself. As time marches on and I see the wonder of Christmas in the eyes of my own grandchildren, I am reminded of Christmas Eves past. They are a part of me that I will never forget. I miss my dad and I miss my grandparents on the Meyer side.

I will post about Mom's side of the family soon. Just wait until you hear about those wild and crazy times. Stay tuned, folks. Merry Christmas!

Did you miss me?

If you read this blog daily (thanks for your loyalty), you probably noticed I didn't post anything yesterday. Did you miss me? Well, if you were worried, you shouldn't have been. There is a simple explanation for my absence... Tami and I took a night away.

We went on a much needed and long overdue date night. Things have been so stressful and crazy lately. A night away was good medicine.

You all probably remember my post about the importance of dating your spouse. Just because you get married doesn't mean you stop dating... ever! It's always good to spend time together and to reconnect.

I'm back now. The blogging will resume in earnest.

The TRUE meaning of Christmas

When you think about Christmas, what comes to mind? Santa Claus? Gifts? Shopping? Lights? Reindeer? Christmas carols? Holly? Christmas trees? Rudolph? Busy times celebrating with family? Cookies?

If you're like many folks it's probably a combination of some of these or maybe even all of them. Did you notice anything missing from my woefully inadequate list above? How about the birth of Jesus Christ? The very son of God who came to earth as a man to save men from their sin? Many people will tell you they know the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Some will even accurately say it's Jesus' birthday.

Listen, folks.I have no problem with all the fun stuff that has come to be associated with the holiday that commemorates the single most important event in the history of mankind. I enjoy Christmas parties, Christmas cookies and looking at Christmas lights as much as the next guy. However, I never want to lose sight or even minimize the significance of the Christmas season.

I recently read with great sadness a story out of New York. A school was doing a holiday program. Not a Christmas program, but a holiday program. One of the songs in the program was "Silent Night". In order to keep from offending anyone, the phrase 'Christ the Savior is born' was removed from the song. Are you kidding? Isn't the WHOLE song about the birth of Jesus? Think about it...

Silent Night, Holy Night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace.

In order to remove the intent of the song, you'd have to remove almost every word. I've been to many "holiday" concerts and programs in my day. I have heard the dreidel song and numerous references to the menorah and Hanukkah. I didn't understand the meaning of the songs or words because I am not Jewish. I can tell you I wasn't offended though. Why should I be? Jewish people can celebrate Hanukkah. I can celebrate Christmas. This shouldn't be a problem. I don't think it's the Jewish people who would be "offended" by this content though. I only mentioned the Jews because the people who would be offended by a reference to Christ have no problem hearing about Jewish tradition at a holiday concert. I'm guessing the same people who would be offended by hearing the phrase "Christ the Savior is born" are the same people who are out Christmas shopping and filling their trees with hundreds of dollars worth of gifts.

It also saddens me when I hear somebody say "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings". I always reply with "Merry Christmas". Why not? People may not admit it, but everything that happens this time of year is because of Christmas. Santa is at the mall because of Christmas. You get time off work or school because of Christmas. You give and receive gifts because of Christmas. You go to a million parties because of Christmas. The TV is littered with specials because of Christmas. Some radio stations switch to an all Christmas format. You decorate your house because it's Christmas. Grandma bakes Christmas cookies (I have never in my life heard anyone say Grandma bakes holiday cookies). Your dad puts Christmas lights on the house (I have never heard anyone say, "Well, it's time to put up the holiday lights!").

It's Christmas time, Ladies and Gentlemen. It's not the holidays or the holiday season. Call it what it is... The Christmas season. The word CHRIST is in the word Christmas for a reason. It's no coincidence.

There are only 4 days until the blessed day arrives. If you haven't already done so, I would encourage you to get out your Bible and read the REAL and TRUE Christmas story in Luke 2. It is remarkably short and will probably be surprisingly familiar to you. If you think only religious fanatics like me feel this way, think again. Charles Schulz (creator of the beloved Peanuts comics) and Dr. Seuss (creator of The Grinch) even found a way to let everyone know what the true meaning of Christmas is. See exhibits A and B below:

Merry Christmas, everyone. Christ the savior is born!

Full Moon Again

Remember a few nights ago when I mentioned how a full moon adversely affects the behavior of my students? Apparently I'm not the only teacher who noticed a full moon on the last week before Christmas break. Note the graphic below:

Give her a chance

I should remember this, but I sometimes forget. Little ears are listening... ALWAYS!

Last night we were out to dinner with the grandkids. All the adults were chattering away and the topic of Abby's driving came up. If you don't know, Abby has her learners permit and is currently training as a young, inexperienced driver. To be honest, Tami and I both feel like covering our eyes when she drives. It's just difficult not being in control of a potential rolling death trap. Anyway, we were discussing Abby's progress and our sometimes unwillingness to let her drive when the following exchange occurred out of nowhere. We had no idea Sveta was listening so intently.

Sveta: Hey! Give Abby a chance. She needs practice on the road.

Me: I know, Sveta, but's sometimes it's scary to ride with Abby.

Sveta: Give her a chance.

Me: Sveta, would you ride with your Aunt Abby?

Sveta: (emphatically) NO!

Hahaha! Kids are so FUNNY! And smart too... even Sveta is smart enough not to climb into the passenger seat when Abby is behind the wheel.

Just Like a Kid

Have you ever heard the expression, "Excited as a kid on Christmas morning"? Well, that's about how I'm feeling right now. As I type this, I have about a day and a half until I get a two week Christmas break. With the stress I've been under at work lately, a two week break sounds beyond wonderful. I absolutely cannot wait!

For all the little kiddies, Santa comes next Tuesday night. For me, Santa comes Friday afternoon at 3:00. Hurry, Santa! I've been a good boy this year.

Snowman #2

I liked the fridge at school so much, I did the same to the refrigerator at home. I'm not sure which one I like better. Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting Snowman #2.