I didn't find out until today, but Weird Al's latest album, Alpocalypse, was available for streaming as of June 14th! My birthday! What a cool present! And he doesn't even know me!
If you'd like to take a listen to the album, just click HERE.
I really enjoyed it. Of course, the videos I've seen on his website are wonderful, too. So far, I've seen the one for "Perform This Way", "CNR", "Skipper Dan", and "Craigslist". I think I'll spend the rest of the evening watching them again...
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
My Mom is Having a Birthday Today!
When we woke up early in the morning on the California trip, my mom was ready to go walking. She had her sweatshirt and her shoes and her smile on, and no matter how far we ended up going, she never complained. That's the kind of person she is. When it's time to spend time with people, doing things that other people want to do, Mom is there with a good attitude and lots of stories to tell, to keep us going.
I've always admired my mom's ability to tell interesting stories. Having spent some time in Indiana with her family, it isn't hard to figure out where it comes from - they're an entire family of good storytellers. And it's nice to listen to stories while getting one's exercise. Makes the miles fly by.
My mom is an amazing person. She puts up with quite a lot, accepting the little twists and turns that happen in life, and she just keeps on going, kind of like the Energizer Bunny. Maybe it's all those years as a nurse, sitting beside people who were dealing with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, practicing the art of calming them down, tending to both their physical and emotional needs. She has a wonderful capacity to stay calm herself when things are getting a bit out of control; this inner strength must have served her well when attempting to raise six children!
Mom, I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and I also hope to see you soon again, to sit and listen to your wonderful stories, to walk beside you on the trails through the park, to hear your laughter again, and to give you a great, big hug and tell you how much you mean to me.
But don't worry about saving me any cake or ice cream. I probably should just walk a little further instead.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
I've always admired my mom's ability to tell interesting stories. Having spent some time in Indiana with her family, it isn't hard to figure out where it comes from - they're an entire family of good storytellers. And it's nice to listen to stories while getting one's exercise. Makes the miles fly by.
My mom is an amazing person. She puts up with quite a lot, accepting the little twists and turns that happen in life, and she just keeps on going, kind of like the Energizer Bunny. Maybe it's all those years as a nurse, sitting beside people who were dealing with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, practicing the art of calming them down, tending to both their physical and emotional needs. She has a wonderful capacity to stay calm herself when things are getting a bit out of control; this inner strength must have served her well when attempting to raise six children!
Mom, I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and I also hope to see you soon again, to sit and listen to your wonderful stories, to walk beside you on the trails through the park, to hear your laughter again, and to give you a great, big hug and tell you how much you mean to me.
But don't worry about saving me any cake or ice cream. I probably should just walk a little further instead.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
To my Father on Father's Day
There are two strong images of my father which have been imprinted on my brain since childhood: a man sitting at a desk surrounded by books and studying his Bible; and a man standing in a pile of sawdust with a piece of wood in his hand. In one image, the man is engaged in learning more so that he can be more like his Father; and in the other, a man is using the knowledge and wisdom which he has learned through years of practice to create something that is both useful and beautiful.
That is my father, in essence. A man after God's own heart, who uses the skills and talents he has been given to serve and save others.
When I think of my father, I think of the Bible. The two are inseparable. My grandmother told me many times that Dad always wanted to be a preacher, and that may be true; but what I witnessed throughout my life was much deeper than that. Dad wants to bring the Good News to people, and he does it from a pulpit or from a kitchen chair or from whatever circumstance he happens to be in. He cares for people, he cares for their hearts and he cares for their souls. He has accepted the mission given him by God and works tirelessly to accomplish as much as is possible in this life. He has truly taken into his own heart the passage in the letter to the Hebrews which states:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Dad has endured, and he continues to run the race. It is probably no coincidence that, along with preaching and teaching and ministering to others, he has always enjoyed physical running as well. It is a marvelous earthly symbol of his own spiritual journey, a constant, steady, determined exercise of his desire to persevere throughout the trials which come.
My father's reputation proceeds him wherever he goes. He exudes honesty and integrity and devotion to God, and this aura is recognized by others. In gatherings both public and private, he is often called upon to pray or to speak words of comfort and hope from the Scriptures. In this he is the living embodiment of the words spoken by Jesus in the sixth chapter of Luke:
"Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."
My father is a good man, a righteous man, whose fruits give evidence of his commitment to the Lord. He is surrounded by people who benefit from his work, who rejoice in knowing him, in being served by him, in learning about the Creator of the Universe from him. His heart is full of love for this lost world, and he expresses this love not only in the words which come out of his mouth, but also in the works which come out of his hands. And as he recognizes that his skills are a gift from God, he creates those fantastic works of wood not out of a desire for gain, but out of a desire to enrich the lives of others and so bring glory and honor to his Lord.
As any son does, I desire to be like my father, and there are times when I find myself doing things that were obviously inspired by the example he set forth. And these things are those acts of service which bring joy or pleasure or comfort to others, for that is his example. And it bring me great joy to think of my father every time I do them, because I want the beneficiaries of those acts to know that I learned them by spending time with my father, being taught by both observation and by training to do what is right and honorable and noble and sacrificial, but above all, showing love to others.
If there is any prayer I would have for my father on this day which we set aside to honor fathers, it would be that he is granted many more years to work and serve upon this earth, with strength of body and strength of mind, with good health and keen mind, to continue the good work which he has started, so that he may, as Paul said,
"... finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace." {Acts 20:24}
God bless you, Dad!
That is my father, in essence. A man after God's own heart, who uses the skills and talents he has been given to serve and save others.
When I think of my father, I think of the Bible. The two are inseparable. My grandmother told me many times that Dad always wanted to be a preacher, and that may be true; but what I witnessed throughout my life was much deeper than that. Dad wants to bring the Good News to people, and he does it from a pulpit or from a kitchen chair or from whatever circumstance he happens to be in. He cares for people, he cares for their hearts and he cares for their souls. He has accepted the mission given him by God and works tirelessly to accomplish as much as is possible in this life. He has truly taken into his own heart the passage in the letter to the Hebrews which states:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Dad has endured, and he continues to run the race. It is probably no coincidence that, along with preaching and teaching and ministering to others, he has always enjoyed physical running as well. It is a marvelous earthly symbol of his own spiritual journey, a constant, steady, determined exercise of his desire to persevere throughout the trials which come.
My father's reputation proceeds him wherever he goes. He exudes honesty and integrity and devotion to God, and this aura is recognized by others. In gatherings both public and private, he is often called upon to pray or to speak words of comfort and hope from the Scriptures. In this he is the living embodiment of the words spoken by Jesus in the sixth chapter of Luke:
"Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."
My father is a good man, a righteous man, whose fruits give evidence of his commitment to the Lord. He is surrounded by people who benefit from his work, who rejoice in knowing him, in being served by him, in learning about the Creator of the Universe from him. His heart is full of love for this lost world, and he expresses this love not only in the words which come out of his mouth, but also in the works which come out of his hands. And as he recognizes that his skills are a gift from God, he creates those fantastic works of wood not out of a desire for gain, but out of a desire to enrich the lives of others and so bring glory and honor to his Lord.
As any son does, I desire to be like my father, and there are times when I find myself doing things that were obviously inspired by the example he set forth. And these things are those acts of service which bring joy or pleasure or comfort to others, for that is his example. And it bring me great joy to think of my father every time I do them, because I want the beneficiaries of those acts to know that I learned them by spending time with my father, being taught by both observation and by training to do what is right and honorable and noble and sacrificial, but above all, showing love to others.
If there is any prayer I would have for my father on this day which we set aside to honor fathers, it would be that he is granted many more years to work and serve upon this earth, with strength of body and strength of mind, with good health and keen mind, to continue the good work which he has started, so that he may, as Paul said,
"... finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace." {Acts 20:24}
God bless you, Dad!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
End of School, Summer Gardening Begins
The end of the school year took me by surprise this year. I just wasn't ready for it. How can it be June already? What are all those green plants doing outside? Where did all the snow go to?
We were kind of overwhelmed by all the activities going on at the end of the school year. The kids had last-minute field trips and parties and tests and exams and that kind of thing; there were also projects and essays and reports and art that had to be completed. And the inevitable music programs, concerts, etc. This time of year is always a bit of a blur.
And then the last day of school came along, and there was absolutely nothing going on. I mean, nothing going on insofar as academics are concerned. There were parties and farewells and movies and more parties, but once the exams are over, what's the point of going to school?
James had a half-day of school and went off with his girlfriend to the the lakeshore. And he actually remembered to use sunscreen, so we didn't get a chance to make fun of his lobster-colored skin. Because he didn't get any. What fun is that?
Deb and Mary went to see Kung Fu Panda II and went bowling and went swimming, all under the guise of a school field trip. What kind of school field trip is that? Where's the educational content? Where's the test to ensure that they come away with some kind of advance in their knowledge base?
And Adam - ! He invited a group of friends over to play games. Not fun games, like cards and dominoes and chess and checkers. No, they played Portal and Civilization and other bizarre computer video games. And watched weird YouTube vidoes. And ate tons of snacks. And drank tons of soda. And, oddly enough, they seemed to enjoy themselves! They were laughing like hyenas down there.
[It must be noted that they also went outside and played Frisbee, which is a normal kind of game, but they did it when the grass was very wet and it looked like it might rain, so that sort of counts like weirdness, so it really fit in with the day.]
We had teased the kids about starting their summer schedule on Saturday instead of Monday, knowing that it really wasn't practical because Adam had to go to the high school at eight in the morning to take the ACT, but Mary was all gung-ho about it, so I got up early with her and we went on our walk around the neighborhood, then took Adam to school, then dropped by Krispy Kreme to use up some of our fundraising coupons (2 for 1) and got two boxes of donuts to celebrate the beginning of the 'summer vacation'.
The kids are still a bit uncertain about our plans to enforce the "early to bed, early to rise" schedule this summer, especially those who have a difficult time getting up in the morning. But Mary is all ready to go. Then again, she has not trouble getting up at six in the morning (or earlier). She obviously inherited some of Grandpa Meyer's genes!
We're really hoping to get the kids to become a little more self-sufficient this summer, teaching them a few things they might not otherwise learn. And part of the whole experience is limiting the amount of energy we use in the form of electricity. So we'll be putting everyone to bed promptly when the sun goes down, and getting everyone out of bed when the sun comes up. It's going to be very difficult, and we're going to get a lot or resistance in the beginning (from everyone but Mary), but we'll deal with it.
Another item on our Summer School Experience goals list is teaching the kids about gardening. We're starting small this year with a vegetable garden, with only a couple plants per child, but the kids are going to be responsible for taking care of them. And the goal is to harvest our vegetables in the fall.
I really, really, really didn't want to dig up the yard to put a garden in, though, so decided instead to build a raised garden. Only my idea of a raised garden doesn't quite the same as Cheryl's. She was thinking of 2x8 boards enclosing a garden which sits on the ground. My idea was 2x8 boards enclosing a box which sits above the ground.
We 'discussed' it at some length, but eventually we decided (ahem) that I could do things my way. This year. Next year's design will depend on this year's results.
I went to the hardware store and got the materials after doing a bit of yard work this morning, helping out with some weed-eating and trimming the spruce trees in the back yard whose branches were lying too low to the ground. Probably shouldn't have waited, but we'd gotten everyone involved (except Adam, who as you'll remember was taking the ACT) and it was simply too much fun being with the family, doing something all together. But eventually I got there and found all the things I needed: garden soil, pebbles, bark, 2x8s, 2x4 plywood, 4x4 posts, black plastic. Then went home and started putting it all together.
Built 2x4 boxes out of the plywood and 2x8s. Built the stands out of 4x4 posts and leftover 2x8 pieces for bracing. Lined it with black plastic. Dumped the pebbles in the bottom for drainage, then covered with 6 inches of garden soil.
There's really nothing like the feeling of running your hands through good soil. The soil came in bags which had been stacked, so it was very compacted and needed to be loosened up. After pouring it out into the boxes, I broke it up first with my hands - oh! the joy of black soil between the fingers! - but then switched to the little garden rake to help spread it out evently.
While I was working on the boxes, Cheryl took the kids to the gardening center to pick out their plants. They found some interesting ones: cucumbers (Deb's favorite), tomatoes, broccoli, watermelon, basil, and cilantro. Supposedly, each child gets two plants to raise, plus there are some extra ones in case something happens, like an attack of squirrels or birds or deer. We're hoping that these plants will start producing by mid-to-late August so we can have them all harvested before school starts again in September, but since it's our first time doing this, it'll be interesting to see what happens.
We were originally planning on putting the garden boxes on the hillside behind the garage, but after taking another look, it occurred to me that it wasn't quite the primes spot I had thought, mainly due to the fact that one of the spruce trees was standing between the spot I'd picked, and the sunlight. Not a big blocker, but enough that it would probably hamper the growth of the plants that need a lot of direct sunlight. This is also one of the chief reasons I wanted to put the garden up on posts, so that it could be moved relatively easily. For the purposes of having the kids transplant their vegetables into the garden boxes, and to capture some of the evening sunlight, we put the garden boxes on the back deck.
Cheryl used duct tape to mark off the 'zones' for each plant. Each box has eight 'zones', and each zone has only one plant in it, so we can hold up to sixteen plants - up to four for each child. That should cover us in case of natural disaster. We hope. Meanwhile, the kids will learn about each type of plant they chose, and how best to take care of it.
It's starting to be an interesting summer already.
We were kind of overwhelmed by all the activities going on at the end of the school year. The kids had last-minute field trips and parties and tests and exams and that kind of thing; there were also projects and essays and reports and art that had to be completed. And the inevitable music programs, concerts, etc. This time of year is always a bit of a blur.
And then the last day of school came along, and there was absolutely nothing going on. I mean, nothing going on insofar as academics are concerned. There were parties and farewells and movies and more parties, but once the exams are over, what's the point of going to school?
James had a half-day of school and went off with his girlfriend to the the lakeshore. And he actually remembered to use sunscreen, so we didn't get a chance to make fun of his lobster-colored skin. Because he didn't get any. What fun is that?
Deb and Mary went to see Kung Fu Panda II and went bowling and went swimming, all under the guise of a school field trip. What kind of school field trip is that? Where's the educational content? Where's the test to ensure that they come away with some kind of advance in their knowledge base?
And Adam - ! He invited a group of friends over to play games. Not fun games, like cards and dominoes and chess and checkers. No, they played Portal and Civilization and other bizarre computer video games. And watched weird YouTube vidoes. And ate tons of snacks. And drank tons of soda. And, oddly enough, they seemed to enjoy themselves! They were laughing like hyenas down there.
[It must be noted that they also went outside and played Frisbee, which is a normal kind of game, but they did it when the grass was very wet and it looked like it might rain, so that sort of counts like weirdness, so it really fit in with the day.]
We had teased the kids about starting their summer schedule on Saturday instead of Monday, knowing that it really wasn't practical because Adam had to go to the high school at eight in the morning to take the ACT, but Mary was all gung-ho about it, so I got up early with her and we went on our walk around the neighborhood, then took Adam to school, then dropped by Krispy Kreme to use up some of our fundraising coupons (2 for 1) and got two boxes of donuts to celebrate the beginning of the 'summer vacation'.
The kids are still a bit uncertain about our plans to enforce the "early to bed, early to rise" schedule this summer, especially those who have a difficult time getting up in the morning. But Mary is all ready to go. Then again, she has not trouble getting up at six in the morning (or earlier). She obviously inherited some of Grandpa Meyer's genes!
We're really hoping to get the kids to become a little more self-sufficient this summer, teaching them a few things they might not otherwise learn. And part of the whole experience is limiting the amount of energy we use in the form of electricity. So we'll be putting everyone to bed promptly when the sun goes down, and getting everyone out of bed when the sun comes up. It's going to be very difficult, and we're going to get a lot or resistance in the beginning (from everyone but Mary), but we'll deal with it.
Another item on our Summer School Experience goals list is teaching the kids about gardening. We're starting small this year with a vegetable garden, with only a couple plants per child, but the kids are going to be responsible for taking care of them. And the goal is to harvest our vegetables in the fall.
I really, really, really didn't want to dig up the yard to put a garden in, though, so decided instead to build a raised garden. Only my idea of a raised garden doesn't quite the same as Cheryl's. She was thinking of 2x8 boards enclosing a garden which sits on the ground. My idea was 2x8 boards enclosing a box which sits above the ground.
We 'discussed' it at some length, but eventually we decided (ahem) that I could do things my way. This year. Next year's design will depend on this year's results.
I went to the hardware store and got the materials after doing a bit of yard work this morning, helping out with some weed-eating and trimming the spruce trees in the back yard whose branches were lying too low to the ground. Probably shouldn't have waited, but we'd gotten everyone involved (except Adam, who as you'll remember was taking the ACT) and it was simply too much fun being with the family, doing something all together. But eventually I got there and found all the things I needed: garden soil, pebbles, bark, 2x8s, 2x4 plywood, 4x4 posts, black plastic. Then went home and started putting it all together.
Built 2x4 boxes out of the plywood and 2x8s. Built the stands out of 4x4 posts and leftover 2x8 pieces for bracing. Lined it with black plastic. Dumped the pebbles in the bottom for drainage, then covered with 6 inches of garden soil.
There's really nothing like the feeling of running your hands through good soil. The soil came in bags which had been stacked, so it was very compacted and needed to be loosened up. After pouring it out into the boxes, I broke it up first with my hands - oh! the joy of black soil between the fingers! - but then switched to the little garden rake to help spread it out evently.
While I was working on the boxes, Cheryl took the kids to the gardening center to pick out their plants. They found some interesting ones: cucumbers (Deb's favorite), tomatoes, broccoli, watermelon, basil, and cilantro. Supposedly, each child gets two plants to raise, plus there are some extra ones in case something happens, like an attack of squirrels or birds or deer. We're hoping that these plants will start producing by mid-to-late August so we can have them all harvested before school starts again in September, but since it's our first time doing this, it'll be interesting to see what happens.
We were originally planning on putting the garden boxes on the hillside behind the garage, but after taking another look, it occurred to me that it wasn't quite the primes spot I had thought, mainly due to the fact that one of the spruce trees was standing between the spot I'd picked, and the sunlight. Not a big blocker, but enough that it would probably hamper the growth of the plants that need a lot of direct sunlight. This is also one of the chief reasons I wanted to put the garden up on posts, so that it could be moved relatively easily. For the purposes of having the kids transplant their vegetables into the garden boxes, and to capture some of the evening sunlight, we put the garden boxes on the back deck.
Cheryl used duct tape to mark off the 'zones' for each plant. Each box has eight 'zones', and each zone has only one plant in it, so we can hold up to sixteen plants - up to four for each child. That should cover us in case of natural disaster. We hope. Meanwhile, the kids will learn about each type of plant they chose, and how best to take care of it.
It's starting to be an interesting summer already.
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