Graduates

I was thinking Sunday, as I saw the high school graduates walk across the stage, their parents are going through what Christine and I had to go through 3 times already. If it was their first child they were all heart broken about their little babies leaving home. If if were the second or last child leaving, their feeling were a little different. They felt like Martin Luther King, "Free At Last, Free At Last..."

It is a natural progression to have your child grow up and leave home. The problem comes after the first year when they come home again. They don't want to be there and you wouldn't mind if they weren't. Having an 'empty nest' is not so bad. When they are not at home there are cookies in the jar, milk in the frig, and TV and lights are off at a decent hour. Their bed stays made and their room stays clean. There is less laundry to do and Mom and Dad can go out to eat whenever they want. There are no strange people coming to your house at all hours to watch movies, so you can sit around in your underwear. You don't worry about where they are or when they are coming home . No more putting someone on restriction because we all know their restriction restricts you also (sometimes more) . No more checking homework or getting calls from the teacher. The list goes on and on.

Some graduate and stay at home. That is another blog!

Don't worry, time changes things. Soon you will wish they would call or come home more. You miss all the things that used to get on your nerves. You stay home from a dinner out with your spouse because they might stop by for a visit. The list goes on and on...

Graduation is confusing, for parent and child!

Making family memories

My son, Jason, and his wife, Angela, decided to take their little family to the Riverbanks Zoo and then down to the beach Friday. Jason said the zoo was smaller than he remembered. He hasn't been there since he was in elementary school. Everything seems smaller now days.

They headed to the beach after enjoying the zoo. This wouldn't have been a bad idea if it hadn't been 'Black Biker Week'! The town is jammed with bikers on what we call 'Crotch Rockets' with girls on the back hanging on. The 'Crotch Rocket' is the kind of bike that the rider has lean forward to drive, and they go real fast! The person on the back also has to lean forward to hang onto the driver. Angela said that all you could see was behinds (Everything isn't smaller now days!)

Senior Citizens

What do you think of when you hear the term senior citizens? People who can't hear so they speak so loud that everyone around them hears everything they say? Someone who walks or drives so slow you are constantly looking for ways to pass? Guys with old ball caps or ladies with big bags of knitting? Walkers, wheelchairs, or blue hair?

Well, some of these can be true but mostly they are just patriotic Americans who have worked hard all their lives. Some are still working just to pay for insurance and gas in their cars.

We are blessed to have a group of senior adults here that minister. Our Merry Makers have a ministry that they participate in every month. We have seniors going on mission trips regularly. Our SAM group has had over 20,000 ministry visits in the last 9 years. They are doing what God called us all to do.

So why don't you kiss or hug a senior adult today. Someday it could be you.

A Good Day

Saturday was a good day. I started the day at The Waffle House , just me , the sports page, and greasy food. Went to pick up blades for my lawn mower and came home and put them on. Then I worked on my chain saw. It has been broken for a few months now, but I got it back together and working. I got my fishing tackle ready for a trip to Lake Robinson and sprayed 'Roundup' on my weeds.

I went inside to put my fishing clothes on and my lovely wife mentioned, "The Upstate Shakespeare Festival's first production of the season is tonight. Do you want go tonight or next weekend" ? The wind was blowing a little strong for my little boat, so I said I guess we could get it over with tonight. She packed a picnic and off we went.

You have to get to Falls Park Ampitheather about an hour early to get on the front row. It is good for me to get on the front row. I need to see the play because I can't understand the words. I have been listening to and about Shakespeare since Amanda got this acting bug. She and Christy have thick Shakespeare books that tell about each play and books with his complete plays.

Most of Shakespeare's plays have someone fighting, dying, someone lost at sea, two siblings separated at birth (or separated at sea) a girl acting like a boy only to find that her true love died (at sea) trying to find her. It confusing!

It is more confusing to have the actors play multiple roles. The King could be a pirate just minutes later.

I knew I was in trouble this time because before I got to eat my fried chicken and potato salad, Christy gave me a Shakespeare for dummies book and said "Here, you need to read this before it starts". The synopsis was confusing!

I made it through the play and even gave them a dollar afterwards (I figured the fight was worth that).

I could have been on the lake or laying on the couch watching the Braves but I would have missed the fried chicken , fight scene, and sharing in something my wife loves to do, and that makes it a good day.

My Team

Well, my softball team lost their second game Monday night. It is hard for them to believe that they could lose. That might not be a such a bad feeling. It is good to know who you are and what your strengths are. Not to live up to those should upset you.

I got a kick out of two of my players, Hunter and Aaron, describing the 'Rednecks' they saw at the race in Darlington this past weekend. They said that they had never seen so many 'Rednecks'. I asked them, "have you looked in a mirror lately? Who do you think you are?" They had 'Hunt Club' on the back of their softball jerseys last year. The wear hats with fish hooks on them. They all drive BIG trucks with hunting and fishing decals and NASCAR numbers on them. I could say more but I won't. Our whole team is made up of 'Rednecks'.

Why is it so much fun to be with them? Along with being the fastest team in the league, they are who they are, no facade, they work hard and play hard. A good group of young men, who respect their elders (which is hard to find these days) and with hearts of gold. It must be working for them because they all have jobs , dates and BIG trucks!

Now, if I can get them to pay their registration fee I will be a happier coach!

My Baby Sister turns 40

My baby sister turned 40 yesterday and we had a party for her last Saturday. She said that she wanted it to be a big party because we probably won't be here for, or feel like celebrating, her 50th.

She has always been kind of spoiled. She was born when I was 17 . My family, like most families we knew in the 60's, had only one car. I was promised that we would get another car and I wouldn't have to date in the big family station wagon (tanks back then) anymore. Well Stacie came along and there went the new car.

It's not that I didn't love her, but I do think I missed out on a lot of dates because of not having that car (I don't think it was my complexion).

Stacie turned out to be quite a blessing . My mother says that a car wouldn't have been near as much fun. I know it wouldn't have lasted 40 years.

Out Of The Box

How many times have you heard the phrase "Think Outside The Box" or " Get Outside The Box"? I was thinking about the 'box' this morning and realized being in the 'box' is not that bad! If a batter steps outside the batter's box he is called out or misses the pitch. A basketball coach has to stay in the coach's box or get charged with a foul.

A friend mentioned that his father-in-law loved to wrap presents in multiple boxes. I enjoy having a gift that is wrapped in a box. When I order something I like it to come in a box to protect the object in shipping.

So why not stay in the box? What is wrong with safety? What is wrong with comfort? What is wrong with security?

I know that "getting out of the box" is all about change. I think those who think something is bad just because it is old need to "Think in the Box" or look around"inside the box" for awhile and see if it is still strong enough to meet your needs.

Don't recycle every box you have, you might need it later. Just ask my friend Rodney.

"Dancing with the one that brought ya" ain't that bad.

Pretty good wife

Today after therapy on my shoulder I called Christy and said I was going to Waffle House with a friend. She said "that's fine". After breakfast I went home and found Christy baking a cake for Mother's Day. That was in between putting down baseboard and shoe molding in our kitchen. I asked if she needed any help. "Not right now". So I said I was going to put my boat into the lake so I could work on my trailer. She said, " sounds good, do you want to take a sandwich?" I came home from the lake "did you catch anything?" I started getting dressed for my softball game "do you want supper before you leave or afterwards?"
She seems to enjoy seeing me relax. I shared this with a friend and he said it sounded like she enjoys the time off also!
Whatever the reason, she is still a pretty good wife!

What a Saturday!

What a Saturday! I cut my grass then went and rocked my grandson Luke while Jason and Angela worked outside. He and his granddad both went to sleep in the rocker.

We went to a wedding of two wonderful young people and it was a nice wedding. I knew I was getting older but I didn't know I was old until I heard the processional by 'Radiohead' and the recessional by 'U.N.K.L.E.'. That was an experience.

But the day wasn't over. That evening we attended the Symphony. The choir and orchestra gave us tickets to Greenville Orchestra's presentation of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection".
That was impressive! In the fourth movement two ladies, one from Texas and one from New York, came out and sang with the Orchestra. That was a waste! I didn't understand them (even the one singing in English) and they only sang for a couple of minutes. Why get all dressed up and fly into Greenville for a couple of minutes of singing?

Radiohead and Mahler in the same day! But rocking Luke is something that I understood. I'm Blessed!

Not Soccer!

My granddaughter has started playing soccer. This is a tragic event in my life! I don't know anything about soccer and really don't want to learn. Now, because of love, I have to start going to soccer games or matches, whatever they are called. What happened to little girls playing hopscotch or dress up? When did little girls have to start playing soccer?

Physical therapy

Today is physical therapy day. I've gone to therapy for a little over a month now for a shoulder pain that has been with me for over a year or two. I am a little frustrated that I still have some pain when I move the arm in a certain position. But I still go because I like the attention from the ladies there. They make you think they opened the doors to this office just for you. Jennifer or Michelle rubs your shoulder and Joe (Joan) brings you coffee when it's time for the ice pack and a magazine. I have a lot of things in my life that I enjoy but this one, I think, is short lived. Oh well, Mother's Day coming and when we go to visit my mother she will rub my shoulder and make me coffee! Just ask my sisters.

Bonding

My number 2 son (who lives here in town) and I had a bonding experience last Friday. We went to the county dump together. I think that every man should take his son to the dump before he dies. You can fish, hunt, play golf, work on cars, or play ping pong, but a trip to the dump is the manly thing to do.

We had my 96 Chevy S10 filled with old lumber to the top of the bed and ready to go when my daughter in-law said it would be nice if we took an old clothes dryer also. Yep, we loaded the dryer on top of the lumber, tied it down, and like the Clampets, down Pelham Road we went. There is nothing like bonding with your son. It was a great day!