Friday, March 26, 2010

"CXLIII"

She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her
She's got a way of pleasin'
I don't know why it is
But there doesn't have to be a reason anywhere

She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know what it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way of talkin'
I don't know why it is
But it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere

She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a way of showin'
How I make her feel
And I find the strength to keep on goin'
She's got a light around her
And ev'rywhere she goes a million
Dreams of love surround her ev'rewhere
Billy Joel

HAPPY 11th Anniversary, SAMANTHA.
I LOVE YOU!
143

Thursday, March 25, 2010

"The Battle"

For reasons I can't explain, the robins
(yes the birds) have decided that my
backyard is a great place to "muck it up"...
"get nasty with one another"...
"claim their territory".

Constant sounds of battle rumbling all
day long.

Now, I understand that it will stop soon;
or at least simmer down a bit. Someone...
or rather... somebigshotbird will have to
take his (I assume it's the males) claim
of victory, find a robinette, and "nest."
Peace will be return to the yard.

What causes fights and quarrels among
you? Don't they come from your desires
that battle within you? You want something
but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you
cannot have what you want. You quarrel
and fight. You do not have, because you do
not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,
because you ask with wrong motives, that
you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people, don't you know that
friendship with the world is hatred toward God?
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world
becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think
Scripture says without reason that the spirit
he caused to live in us envies intensely?
But he gives us more grace. That is why
Scripture says: "God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.
Submit yourselves, then, to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter
to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves
before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:1-10 NIV

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

"Bananas!"

This for some reason makes me smile:

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

"Again"

From time to time, I go back and read
what I wrote from times past. Here's
one from last March, appropriate again
I believe:

March 20th, 2009.
Officially, the first day of spring.
Here in Pittsburgh, PA
it's 45 degrees,
overcast, and kind of drab...
but then again
that's Pittsburgh
90% of the time. I'm not saying,
I'm just saying.


But even in the up and down
temperatures that
each day brings,
spring is in the picture.
The trees are budding.
The flowers are peeking
through the ground. The birds
are starting to
find nest mates.
The grass is beginning to look

green again.

I long for warmer days.
The opportunity to be outside
and alive in the warmth of the sun.

IT'S COMING! I know it is.

Spring is when life is breathed
back into the black and white
of winter. And thankfully
God gives
us a microcosm each March/April
of His ability and desire to make all things

new again.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone,

the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Thank God He makes all things new.

Yes, indeed. It may be 2010, but God
is still the same! Hallelujah!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

"The Hawk"

We've got a hawk that has decided
to use the proximity around our home
as an open invitation to dine... almost
daily.

I can always tell when he/she (really
how could I tell) is around. It gets
eerie quiet outside. No birds chirping.
No birds flying about. No birds eating
day old stale moldy bread someone
from our adobe has thrown around the
tree outside.

One thing I've observed about said
hawk... if you are any kind of bird
other than a dove, you're pretty safe.
The reason being, I haven't seen
him/her catch anything other than
doves.

I enjoy the hawk. Saved me lots of
money not having to buy bird seed
this winter. Nothing would come
to it... well, the squirrel would, but
I can't seem to convince the hawk
to catch that bird-seeding thief.

Of course, maybe my neighbor will
put it into a walmart plastic bag
on my van come fall. (another
story for another time.)

So what's the point? Why the
hawk-tale? I'm not sure.
But I'm starting miss that
distinctive coo of the mourning dove.

Monday, March 8, 2010

"What's That Bright Light Daddy?"

The sun has officially shone
itself for the the past 4 days.

I know. What's with that?
"Don't you live in Western
Pennsylvania?"

Yes, Yes I do.

And as the snow slowly makes
it's way to overflow the banks
of the local rivers, comes this:

"For the second time in a year,
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger is being accused
of sexual misconduct, with police
investigating him Saturday for an
alleged assault at a nightclub in a
Georgia college town..." (espn to
read it all)

Really, I'm not sure I want to even
think about this. I admit, I listen
to sports talk radio for parts of my
day. But it's really over the top.

Not sure how to respond... or even
if I need too.

No child in my house has asked about it.
No one has called or emailed to ask
my opinion. No texts. No tweets.
Nothing.

Could be I'm insulating myself from it.

Yeah, that's it. Insulation.

How? Why? What? Did he? Didn't he?

Honestly I can't really take it anymore.

#7 is not the first, won't be the last.
Just like Tiger. Just like Gamecock Govenor.
Just like... just like... just like...

My head spins... better; my head melts.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"Ramblings"

A few observations that I must ramble about:

1. Why do little girls have to have clothes
bought for them that has glitter glued
all over them? Don't people understand
that glitter all over the house stays all
over the house no matter how much you
vacuum for at least the length of time
you own the house?

2. Yes, all cereal floats in the toilet,
just like it does in the milk (or your
favorite liquid) you pour on it.

3. Shoes don't disappear on their own.
Little boys move them to undisclosed
places.

4. Can't your local school district figure
out that the way to save cost is to cut
back on paper. Really. The 2 children
I have in school bring enough paper home
each day that if you could return it
back to tree status I would have a
forest of Sequoias in my yard.

5. My front yard should not be where
all the snow from Industry is plowed too.
And you wonder why I don't cut my grass
in the front for the first 3 months of summer.

6. Can you staple socks to a child?

7. I'm planning on using 6 hours to
replace the front bumper cover on our
hyundai. So, I guess I will be doing it
for at least a week.

8. Churches... especially kids sunday
school class, awana programs, etc etc,
please read #4 above.

9. Balloons are from the diablo, no
ands ifs or buts about it.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

"Diaper"

The theme of this rant revolves around
one of the most basic functions given to
men... The most basic.

For adults, it certainly is something most
do at least once daily. Even children
for that matter.

Yet, for the youngest, it is a function that
most most of the time do several times
a day; however, they alone cannot perform...

Well they can, they just need help in the clean up.

What happens when you have a diaper malfunction?
Yes, the world is full of malfunctions:
vehicle malfunctions, electronics malfunctions,
even wardrobe malfunctions.

Yet, when we experience the diaper malfunction,
well, let's just say, it can be a rather disturbing
experience.

Stinky experience if you'd like.

There is so much that one day I'm going to
miss about having an infant thru 2 year old
in the house. It's coming soon... without
regret however.

But one thing I will never miss, will be that
last diaper thrown into the genie for the
very last time.

That's not to say children, and some adults,
won't experience bowel malfunctions.
It just means the diaper will not fall off
before the pants are off; hence leading
to what I would call, YUCK!

Monday, March 1, 2010

"Gold Medals!"

I guess the way to measure the success
of the 21st Winter Olympic games is
dependent on your perspective.

Athletes of the games: Gold, Silver or Bronze?

NBC: viewership?

USA: Total medals won?

Canada: Men's Hockey Gold?

And the list can go on and on and on.

How do I measure the success? Well,
that's probably got several components.

First, let me say, for some reason I like
the Winter games much more than the
summer games. Why? Not sure.
There certainly way to many events
that need judges to determine the
outcome. I don't so much like that
idea.

Maybe I just like winter and snow much
more than summer and heat. (Yet,
after this Febs record snowfall amount
for a month in the history of Western PA
I may reconsider that).

Maybe I like the Winter games more
because of hockey as opposed to
basketball or soccer or base... (oh wait
baseball's gone from the Summer games,
yet Olympic softball remains).

Maybe growing up I was realistic
in the fact that I was never going
to run faster than others, or jump
or have the strength do all that
it takes to make it to the Summer
games. Whereas, the ability to
go really fast in a sled is something
I could do.

I don't what it is, but Winter games
appeal to me more. SO...

How do I measure the success
of the Winter Olympic Games
in Vancouver this February.

Overall, I give it an F. And maybe
one small (to far too many) accidental
death should mar the games, but
in my mind, it does. How do you
call any event a success where someone
dies? I don't think you can.
I don't think we should.

And I think that the IOC should be
ashamed of itself for allowing it to happen.

Were there wonderful moments in
Vancouver? YES!

Were there amazing accomplishments?
Personal overcomers?
Overachievers?
Gold medal worthy performances?

YES, YES, YES and YES!

But let us not overshadow what was
an inexcusable accident or the fact
that when you are going to give your
all for a medal that you knew you were
never going to gain, one shouldn't die
in the process.

YES.
I'm answering this question before it's said.
There are dangers in everything.
There are accidents in everything.
There are situations that could not be accounted for.

But in this case, this one case, this incredible case,
it's a pathetic excuse.