Holy Hail, Batman!
May/15/2008 11:20 PM | Permalink
We got some pretty serious rain through here last
night, but nothing like what my sister and her
husband, Chris, got down in Austin.
On her picture blog, she sez this:
This was some serious hail. Here's a few of those pics. Check out the size of the hail stones next to a quarter, and the pockmarks in the AC unit:
She doesn't mention it here, but their car, newly back from the shop after a pretty serious accident, got pelted by the hail and will, most likely, be headed back to the shop again. Incredible. Here's the whole photo album.
And as I write things, I am remembering that the six-year-old me took hail stones to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, to give to Dianne on the day she was born. Didn't understand for years why they wouldn't let me give them to her.
I mention this because "Theo"is the new nephew...due any time the next couple of weeks.
Everybody's pretty dang excited.
On her picture blog, she sez this:
Quite a storm blew through Austin at 1 am on May 15, 2008. Everything facing west got the brunt of the wind and hail as it moved W to E across town. That includes the kitchen window, the wooden siding, the garage A/C unit, a roof vent, and the car. The garden and vegetation were shredded. Anyone for bruised peaches or tomatoes? Hail was 2-3 in., or racquetball size, with 55 mph wind gusts. But all are fine, and we are still waiting for Theo...
This was some serious hail. Here's a few of those pics. Check out the size of the hail stones next to a quarter, and the pockmarks in the AC unit:
She doesn't mention it here, but their car, newly back from the shop after a pretty serious accident, got pelted by the hail and will, most likely, be headed back to the shop again. Incredible. Here's the whole photo album.
And as I write things, I am remembering that the six-year-old me took hail stones to Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, to give to Dianne on the day she was born. Didn't understand for years why they wouldn't let me give them to her.
I mention this because "Theo"is the new nephew...due any time the next couple of weeks.
Everybody's pretty dang excited.
|
All's Well
May/07/2008 06:51 PM | Permalink
Thanks for the many notes and emails about Dennise's
surgery.
It's now Wednesday night, and Maria and I have just returned from the hospital and a late afternoon visit. The surgery went perfectly...no complications. There is a pathology being run, but the doc says, from the looks of things, no bad news is expected.
Dennise insisted that Maria and I come home tonight, so that we aren't all three sleeping in a strange place this evening. D's Mom will stay with her at Presby. tonight.
We were well cared for at the hospital by Northaven friends and staff, and have a great home cooked meal tonight from them to come home to.
She'll probably be there until Friday, and then will have as much as two weeks recovery at home.
We appreciate your prayers. We are deeply grateful.
More info as it becomes available.
It's now Wednesday night, and Maria and I have just returned from the hospital and a late afternoon visit. The surgery went perfectly...no complications. There is a pathology being run, but the doc says, from the looks of things, no bad news is expected.
Dennise insisted that Maria and I come home tonight, so that we aren't all three sleeping in a strange place this evening. D's Mom will stay with her at Presby. tonight.
We were well cared for at the hospital by Northaven friends and staff, and have a great home cooked meal tonight from them to come home to.
She'll probably be there until Friday, and then will have as much as two weeks recovery at home.
We appreciate your prayers. We are deeply grateful.
More info as it becomes available.
Your Prayers and Happy Thoughts, Please.
May/05/2008 08:36 PM | Permalink
The Judge will be going into a Presbyterian Hospital
on Wednesday, for surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.
She's expected to be there there until at least through Friday, possibly Saturday.
Please pray for Dennise, the surgeons and staff, and Maria and me.
More later, after we're home...and probably no other entries for some days...EF
She's expected to be there there until at least through Friday, possibly Saturday.
Please pray for Dennise, the surgeons and staff, and Maria and me.
More later, after we're home...and probably no other entries for some days...EF
OK...It Seemed to Work...
Apr/22/2008 07:32 AM | Permalink
Shock of shocks, my blog/website update seems to have
worked. Without too much disruption (besides a
three-month absence) the site is now back in
business.
There are still a couple of unresolved issues:
One issue is that the comments are all screwed up. For reasons beyond my understanding, the comments are not posting to the correct blog entry. In most cases, they seem to be about two entries behind where they should be. This is the one single issue I worked hardest to resolve these past few months, to absolutely no avail. I would have had this site back up two months ago if I could've resolved this issue quickly. But I've given up.
So the truth may be this: any comments for entries prior to this one may be hopelessly screwed up, and there may be no way to ever fix them. Sorry for that.
Also, the picture pages are still messed up. The pic pages are dependent upon iPhoto, and I have yet to repopulate my iPhoto library. The pics are all there, in a folder on the new backup hard drive, but they are totally unsorted and unnamed...and sorting them's gonna take a lot more time. So, please be patient while we work to recreate this section of the website.
Finally, I noticed recently that the blog does not render correctly for people using the Windoze version of Internet Explorer. The margins are all screwed up, and I can't figure out why. If anybody knows the answer to this mystery, please let me know. The pages render just fine using Safari or Firefox...or using any program on a Mac. (Surprised?)
I wouldn't worry about this, but for the sheer number of potential readers out there using IE. So, I am sensitive to this issue and working to resolve it. But if you are inspired, it might be good time to switch to Firefox.
More later...
There are still a couple of unresolved issues:
One issue is that the comments are all screwed up. For reasons beyond my understanding, the comments are not posting to the correct blog entry. In most cases, they seem to be about two entries behind where they should be. This is the one single issue I worked hardest to resolve these past few months, to absolutely no avail. I would have had this site back up two months ago if I could've resolved this issue quickly. But I've given up.
So the truth may be this: any comments for entries prior to this one may be hopelessly screwed up, and there may be no way to ever fix them. Sorry for that.
Also, the picture pages are still messed up. The pic pages are dependent upon iPhoto, and I have yet to repopulate my iPhoto library. The pics are all there, in a folder on the new backup hard drive, but they are totally unsorted and unnamed...and sorting them's gonna take a lot more time. So, please be patient while we work to recreate this section of the website.
Finally, I noticed recently that the blog does not render correctly for people using the Windoze version of Internet Explorer. The margins are all screwed up, and I can't figure out why. If anybody knows the answer to this mystery, please let me know. The pages render just fine using Safari or Firefox...or using any program on a Mac. (Surprised?)
I wouldn't worry about this, but for the sheer number of potential readers out there using IE. So, I am sensitive to this issue and working to resolve it. But if you are inspired, it might be good time to switch to Firefox.
More later...
(Tap, tap....testing, testing...one, two three...)
Miss Me?
Apr/22/2008 12:40 AM | Permalink
If everything goes according to plan (and it seldom
does...) you're reading the first new blog entry from
my in about three months.
I'd like to hope that's been strange for some of you, as I know we had many regular readers back around Christmastime.
But, alas, due to technical difficulties completely within my control, I had a major website mess on my hands at the end of January.
One morning, in a hurry to get out the door, and wishing only to erase a small "SD" card that was leftover from my last Treo, I inadvertently erased my main hard drive back up disk. A bonehead move...totally my fault. Just selected the wrong icon and hit "OK."
It took about five seconds for about a hundred gigs, and ten years of files, to vanish. It took me about six seconds to realize what I had done and let out a blood curdling scream.
Thank God for data recovery software. That's the good news. The bad news is that even if it recovers all your files, it can't recover the things you originally named them. Add to this, I hadn't done a complete back up of my website since about November of 2006.
All this is to say, even though I've been real silent, blog-wise, I've been ridiculously busy, recovering files, and trying to recreate the website from the point of my last backup.
If everything goes according to plan (and, as I said, it seldom does...) I am mostly done with the rebuilding, and you are reading my first blog entry in 90 days.
Didja miss me?
If this works, I will let out a similarly loud scream (of joy this time) and then head to bed...promising to catch everybody up on a day very soon.
I'd like to hope that's been strange for some of you, as I know we had many regular readers back around Christmastime.
But, alas, due to technical difficulties completely within my control, I had a major website mess on my hands at the end of January.
One morning, in a hurry to get out the door, and wishing only to erase a small "SD" card that was leftover from my last Treo, I inadvertently erased my main hard drive back up disk. A bonehead move...totally my fault. Just selected the wrong icon and hit "OK."
It took about five seconds for about a hundred gigs, and ten years of files, to vanish. It took me about six seconds to realize what I had done and let out a blood curdling scream.
Thank God for data recovery software. That's the good news. The bad news is that even if it recovers all your files, it can't recover the things you originally named them. Add to this, I hadn't done a complete back up of my website since about November of 2006.
All this is to say, even though I've been real silent, blog-wise, I've been ridiculously busy, recovering files, and trying to recreate the website from the point of my last backup.
If everything goes according to plan (and, as I said, it seldom does...) I am mostly done with the rebuilding, and you are reading my first blog entry in 90 days.
Didja miss me?
If this works, I will let out a similarly loud scream (of joy this time) and then head to bed...promising to catch everybody up on a day very soon.
Maria at Gymnastics Meet, Spring 2007
Dec/19/2007 08:20 AM | Permalink
Merry Christmas from Eric, Maria and Dennise
Dec/16/2007 06:37 AM | Permalink
Hello everyone,
It's Eric and Dennise's annual Christmas letter. We hope this letter finds you and yours doing well.
As you may have noticed, this letter was not so "annual" last year. As the holidays approached, we just couldn't find the energy to get a letter done. But a year later, we're much more rested. So, here is this year's edition.
As usual, this letter contains lots of links to other websites, pictures, and movies. Feel free to click away to your heart's content. We've also switched from a clickable pdf, to a "rich text" html message this year. So, if you're having trouble seeing this message, try going here and read it online.
Click here to download the actual Christmas card above in case, like us, you still enjoy taping these things up around your house during the holidays.
---------------------------------
A big part of what had us so tired at the end of last year was the 2006 election. As you may recall, Dennise was up for re-election then, having served only two years. (Her first election was to fill an unexpired seat)
She won, and she won big: 31,000 votes, and almost nine percentage points. In fact, she won by the widest margin of any county-wide judicial candidate in the past five elections. (Republican or Democrat)
So, on January 1st of this year, Dennise was sworn in again; this time for a full four year term. After two elections in two years, she decided to take it easy on the political front this year.l
But as you may remember, the election of 2006 featured quite a change in Dallas County politics, with dozens of Democratic candidates winning elected office. Overnight, Dennise went from being one of a few elected Democrats to being one of many.
For this and other reasons, she was voted Presiding Judge of the Family Courts in Dallas County. This involves calling, attending, and running various meetings relating to the administration of the courts. Doing this administrative job, running her own court, and supporting all the newly elected colleagues has been a challenge. But it’s been good to learn so much in such a short span of time, and things seem to be calming down now.
This fall Dennise was invited to be a part of the 21st Century Council at SMU. This is a specially selected group of younger alumni who serve as an advisory group to President Turner.
This year, she also received a high honor from the SMU Women's Symposium, being named one of six "Profiles in Leadership" honorees for 2007. Given her long association with the Women's Symposium --dating back to her time as a student-- it was a great honor to receive this award.
She also serves as a member of the board of directors to the Dallas County Child and Family Guidance Center. In August, she gave a speech on “Enforcement in Family Law Cases” at the Advanced Family Law Course in San Antonio.
----------------------------------
Eric continues his ministry at Northaven UMC. The building is beginning to take on more of its own personality as landscaping begins to develop around the church and new signs and art go up. Easter this year saw a huge crowd in attendance; very likely the largest worshipping Sunday at Northaven in many decades.
Since we last wrote, Eric's taken two mission trips to the Gulf Coast with Northaven members and members of Hamilton Park UMC. Even though it’s been two years since Katrina hit, there are still a number of places that look as though it hit yesterday.
Northaven is blessed with a truly wonderful staff right now, and is looking to round that out with the hiring of a new office manager. (Probably in late January). The church was honored to be a beneficiary of the annual Black Tie Dinner for the past two years.
Musically, Eric helped lead a new songwriter's retreat at Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Eric served as a host for the weekend, and worked with other leaders like Effron White, Emily Kaitz, and Trout Fishing in America. (along with his old friend, Charles Gaby...) It was great confluence of his love for music, the UMC, and Mt. Sequoyah. Everybody involved hopes it will be the first of what will be a great annual event for that region of the country.
Since we last wrote, Eric been playing in Connections Band too. Connections was formed by several UM Ministers, who share a common love for music. The group has found a niche doing "cover" shows of popular artists, and raising money for worthy causes like UMCOR and "Nothing But Nets" in the process.
Shows so far have included tributes to Dan Fogelberg, Eagles, Chicago, James Taylor and Carol King. Here are some pictures from their very first show, and here's some video for that show too. Here are some pics from the Chicago/Eagles Show. And here are some soundclips from several shows. To date, Connections has raised well over $20,000 for these worthy causes. It's been great honor to raise so much money, to use our musical gifts, and to play music that people love to hear. You can always find Connections upcoming schedule at Eric's music website.
----------------------------------------
Can you believe that Maria is the fourth grade?! Neither can we. I mean, just look at this gymnastics picture.
And here she is on the first day of school. How did she get so mature?! So poised?! Where'd that little girl go?
Maria still competes in gymnastics, now at "level five," and she participated in her first off campus meets earlier this year. Here's video of her bar and floor routine. Can you believe all the things our "little girl" can do? Also in the spring, she submitted a 3rd grade science fair project titled "Why Does a Singing Bowl Sing?" She apparently got the idea from playing around with the "singing bowl" that Eric brought back from Nepal some years back. She did research on how music is made from vibrations of air... whether it's a singing bowl, or a violin. The work earned her second place in the third grade.
Maria also received a "commended" score on her Math TAKS test. This fall she joined the Prestonwood Elementary safety patrol, and was appointed a classroom representative to the Student Council. As of this Fall, she's also is now a part of their Girl Scout Troop. She and Eric are still active in their Indian Princess program and they still go camping with all the other girls and Dads. Here is a movie from our campout that will show you more of her gymnastics skill in action.
Maria is really in to "American Girl"" dolls (if you don't know, don't ask...), reading books, and Hannah Montana. Surely you know who Hannah Montana is, right? She's more famous to ten-year-old girls than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zepplin put together.
If you doubt this, the day after the Hannah Montana concert in Fort Worth (we didn't get to go...) Eric read aloud an item from the Dallas Morning News about how Troy Aikman had taken his little girls to see Hannah Montana, and had sat right on the front row.
To which Maria replied, "Who's Troy Aikman?"
-------------------------------------
That story gives you pause about how fleeting fame is, yes? And how little each generation remembers about the last. Which, actually, was a part of the rationale for our Spring Break trip to California. Maria had wanted to go to Disneyland, and Eric and Dennise decided to make it a driving trip. We did this because every kid deserves at least one long car trip in their life, and partly because it's such a great chance to see and learn about so much of the Southwest. And, it seemed to us, that if you fly everywhere, you never really get the sense of just how big the world really is.
As you may know, the trip to California takes you down I-40, which is a lot of the old "Route 66." There's lots of history there to uncover. We stopped to see the Grand Canyon. (That's where the picture at the top comes from...) In California, we visited Disneyland, Universal Studios, and the beach at Santa Monica. (We got to see Eric's old friend, John Ramey, too...)
Take a look at a video of our trip here.
Along the way, Eric remembered that the great guitar store, McCabe's was right here in Santa Monica. And so, while on this trip, Eric bought his long hoped for "Santa Cruz" guitar. You can read the whole story about that here. It was a great trip and we spent some good time bonding as a family in a car. We hope to get in more vacations like this and take the opportunity to see the country this way.
Later in the Fall, Eric and Dennise got away to Memphis for a few days, when Dennise had a conference there. It turned into quite a nice little vacation, and Eric really loved learning about the history of Memphis' music scene. We visited the Civil Rights Museum, Sun and Stax Records, and Beale Street...where Eric got to play on the street one night. True story. Read about it here.
---------------------------------------------
Our contact info hasn't changed. But if you need an update, just reply to this email and ask for it. (Hoping to keep from broadcasting it via email to the world of evil spammers...)
A lot of the links in this letter refer to Eric's blog. And we hope you remember that he blogs there a lot, about a ridiculously strange menagerie of things, and in a format every similar to this letter. Hope you'll visit there. It's a good way to find out what's happening with us personally, in between these annual letters.
We're looking for a restful and relaxing holiday for the next few weeks, and we hope you have one too. We're pleased to be your friends, and grateful for the year that has been.
Wishing you Christmas Peace,
Eric, Dennise, and Maria
Grocery Store- The Extended Dance Mix
Dec/15/2007 04:32 PM | Permalink
The Balance of a Gymnast
Dec/15/2007 04:07 PM | Permalink
Maria's Grocerystore Birthday Dance
Dec/07/2007 05:39 PM | Permalink
We gave Maria one of those cool new iPod Nanos for
her birthday in September. I spent a couple of days
loading it up with all her favorite Hannah Montana,
and High School musical songs.
When you're ten, birthdays are still a big deal. You remember, don't you? Remember thinking it was probably the most special day of the year.
So, on Maria's birthday, we were shopping at Albertson's, and she had on the new iPod. What she didn't know is that I had my Treo, and I was taking movies.
Here's just a small portion of Maria's Birthday Grocerystore Dance:
There's about four minutes more I didn't post...
I love the part where we come to an intersection, and she stops for a moment when she sees another shopper. Then, she's got the beat back within seconds.
Remember what it was like to have that kind of special day?
Wonder what you'd feel like if you just cut loose and danced down the vegetable aisle some day soon?
It'd probably feel awesome.
When you're ten, birthdays are still a big deal. You remember, don't you? Remember thinking it was probably the most special day of the year.
So, on Maria's birthday, we were shopping at Albertson's, and she had on the new iPod. What she didn't know is that I had my Treo, and I was taking movies.
Here's just a small portion of Maria's Birthday Grocerystore Dance:
There's about four minutes more I didn't post...
I love the part where we come to an intersection, and she stops for a moment when she sees another shopper. Then, she's got the beat back within seconds.
Remember what it was like to have that kind of special day?
Wonder what you'd feel like if you just cut loose and danced down the vegetable aisle some day soon?
It'd probably feel awesome.
A JackO-Lantern's Heart
Oct/31/2007 08:52 PM | Permalink
To the best of my knowledge, Peter Mayer holds the
distinction of having written the world's only
Halloween folk song. You may not have heard it, but
it's really pretty popular in the acoustic music
world. And when I Googled it, I even
discovered
a sculpture inspired by
it.
I hope you will not only enjoy these lyrics but also support Peter by buying his stuff here.
Happy Halloween, everyone...
"John's Garden" by Peter Mayer.
Farmer John wandered back
And when he reached the pumpkin patch, began to speak.
He said, "The weather's getting colder,
Summer's over and it's almost Halloween.
That's the day, the reason you were raised
When everything about your life will change.
You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you'll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness.
But remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern's heart."
The pumpkins held a meeting then;
Some were very apprehensive and afraid.
"Could this really happen to us?
What could be the meaning?" is what they were saying.
"This is home, it's all we've ever known."
Then one bold, outspoken pumpkin spoke.
He said,
"I don't need eyes to see, it sounds like a lie to me,
I like it just fine here in John's garden.
And remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern's heart."
There is much to ask and to ponder in the pumpkin patch
When imposing old October shows up at last.
Then a pumpkin from the farther end
Who had been silent up till then
Over the commotion, said
"What would you rather have my friends,
A chance to shine, or die here on the vine?
The better way seems very plain to me.
You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you'll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness.
And maybe that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern's heart,
Oh, but one goblin's smile should make it all well worth while,
You know you might even see the starlight.
And knowing that time is brief, makes it that much more sweet
When you have a jack-o-lantern's heart."
Words and Music © Peter Mayer
I hope you will not only enjoy these lyrics but also support Peter by buying his stuff here.
Happy Halloween, everyone...
"John's Garden" by Peter Mayer.
Farmer John wandered back
And when he reached the pumpkin patch, began to speak.
He said, "The weather's getting colder,
Summer's over and it's almost Halloween.
That's the day, the reason you were raised
When everything about your life will change.
You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you'll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness.
But remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern's heart."
The pumpkins held a meeting then;
Some were very apprehensive and afraid.
"Could this really happen to us?
What could be the meaning?" is what they were saying.
"This is home, it's all we've ever known."
Then one bold, outspoken pumpkin spoke.
He said,
"I don't need eyes to see, it sounds like a lie to me,
I like it just fine here in John's garden.
And remember that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern's heart."
There is much to ask and to ponder in the pumpkin patch
When imposing old October shows up at last.
Then a pumpkin from the farther end
Who had been silent up till then
Over the commotion, said
"What would you rather have my friends,
A chance to shine, or die here on the vine?
The better way seems very plain to me.
You will have eyes to see, and for that night, you'll be
A bright lamp burning in the darkness.
And maybe that candle shines for only the briefest time
In a jack-o-lantern's heart,
Oh, but one goblin's smile should make it all well worth while,
You know you might even see the starlight.
And knowing that time is brief, makes it that much more sweet
When you have a jack-o-lantern's heart."
Words and Music © Peter Mayer
Do you remember, the 21st night of September?
Sep/21/2007 09:23 AM | Permalink
"Do you remember the 21st night of september?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away"
Today is my birthday. And in a deeply personal way, it's always been awesome to have a birthday associated with such a bitchingly cool "Earth, Wind, and Fire" song. Especially one that I remember from my own past, as a great dance track in my high school days. When I DJed dances, back in the day, we'd pretty much play all of EWT's Greatest Hits, and September was among everyone's faovirTES.
But, for me, late September has always been a magical time for many other birthday reasons. For, you see, next week is my Mom's birthday (September 29th). And so it was always cool to not only have a birthday remembered in an EWT song, but also one close to Mom's too.
That would be cool enough. But, turns out, last Saturday, September 15th, was my daughter's birthday...her tenth.
This, by the way, is completely incomprehensible. Not the date, the number. It is not possible she's ten. And yet, every facet of my life tells me it must be true. And so I am aquiecing to it as a possible truth, even as I am still searching for the evidence that her being ten is an optical illusion. (It has to be...)
In yet another cool connection, my Grandmother's birthday (on Dad's side) was also September 15th. But she and Maria missed knowing each other by couple of decades.
My daughter's birth, 10-years-ago, was the greatest birthday presents for me ever. It solidified these later weeks of September as a sort of spiritually rich time for our family...perhaps a part of the calendar that's also a part of our DNA?
And then, just a few short years later, September 11th happened. And, as anyone with a September celebration can tell you, it changed things for a while. My daughter's birthday that year was muted, to say the least, coming just four days after that horrible day and while we were all still reeling in shock. I'm not even sure we did anything for my birthday that year. I'm pretty sure I didn't want to.
Truthfully? It's felt a little odd to want to "celebrate" anything in late-to-mid September for several years now.
"Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day"
While I would never want to downplay the significance of September 11th, I am grateful for the years that have passed since; and for the fact that this year, really for the first time since 2001, it somehow feels again like we are celebrating this month as our birthday month. Maybe it's the time that's passed. Or, maybe I'm just not as depressed as I have been the past few years.
Who knows?
But, for me, even with September 11th now permanently mixed-in to my September DNA, this year there is also a certain connection with feeling "normal" again about the month of September. And for me personally? It's really nice.
For the first time in several years, there is postive, life-affirming power, there is a permission --or maybe even a compulsion-- to sing and jam with EW&F again, and to again feel the sheer unadulterated joy of September birthdays.
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away"
Today is my birthday. And in a deeply personal way, it's always been awesome to have a birthday associated with such a bitchingly cool "Earth, Wind, and Fire" song. Especially one that I remember from my own past, as a great dance track in my high school days. When I DJed dances, back in the day, we'd pretty much play all of EWT's Greatest Hits, and September was among everyone's faovirTES.
But, for me, late September has always been a magical time for many other birthday reasons. For, you see, next week is my Mom's birthday (September 29th). And so it was always cool to not only have a birthday remembered in an EWT song, but also one close to Mom's too.
That would be cool enough. But, turns out, last Saturday, September 15th, was my daughter's birthday...her tenth.
This, by the way, is completely incomprehensible. Not the date, the number. It is not possible she's ten. And yet, every facet of my life tells me it must be true. And so I am aquiecing to it as a possible truth, even as I am still searching for the evidence that her being ten is an optical illusion. (It has to be...)
In yet another cool connection, my Grandmother's birthday (on Dad's side) was also September 15th. But she and Maria missed knowing each other by couple of decades.
My daughter's birth, 10-years-ago, was the greatest birthday presents for me ever. It solidified these later weeks of September as a sort of spiritually rich time for our family...perhaps a part of the calendar that's also a part of our DNA?
And then, just a few short years later, September 11th happened. And, as anyone with a September celebration can tell you, it changed things for a while. My daughter's birthday that year was muted, to say the least, coming just four days after that horrible day and while we were all still reeling in shock. I'm not even sure we did anything for my birthday that year. I'm pretty sure I didn't want to.
Truthfully? It's felt a little odd to want to "celebrate" anything in late-to-mid September for several years now.
"Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day"
While I would never want to downplay the significance of September 11th, I am grateful for the years that have passed since; and for the fact that this year, really for the first time since 2001, it somehow feels again like we are celebrating this month as our birthday month. Maybe it's the time that's passed. Or, maybe I'm just not as depressed as I have been the past few years.
Who knows?
But, for me, even with September 11th now permanently mixed-in to my September DNA, this year there is also a certain connection with feeling "normal" again about the month of September. And for me personally? It's really nice.
For the first time in several years, there is postive, life-affirming power, there is a permission --or maybe even a compulsion-- to sing and jam with EW&F again, and to again feel the sheer unadulterated joy of September birthdays.
Watch the World Go By. Literally.
Sep/03/2007 04:28 PM | Permalink
File this under:
"Cool Things You Can Find on the Web"
The clock/counter below comes from this guy.
Even though quantum physics tells us that there is no such thing as time, and that there is no such thing as a "steady state," it's easy to forget this due to the way we actually experience our lives day to day.
Even for those of us who are "in" to Process Theology --which has, as fundamental tenet, that the world is always changing, and that change is a fundamental part of reality-- it's easy to get lulled into the idea that things are sort of permanently the way they are...right now.
Whether we look at these things through the lens of science or philosophy/theology, it's easy to get lulled into the belief that the world is unchanging. But the truth is, the world is always changing, in every moment of every day. And the clock below helps you see that in a really powerful way.
There is something quite powerful about it, really. Kind of like meditating on the vastness of the Grand Canyon, or the stars in outer space. There is something about being aware, even just statistically, of how things are constantly in a state of change, that is deeply spiritual and profound.
So, play around with this counter for a while. And, quite literally, watch the world go by:
Poodwaddle.com
The clock/counter below comes from this guy.
Even though quantum physics tells us that there is no such thing as time, and that there is no such thing as a "steady state," it's easy to forget this due to the way we actually experience our lives day to day.
Even for those of us who are "in" to Process Theology --which has, as fundamental tenet, that the world is always changing, and that change is a fundamental part of reality-- it's easy to get lulled into the idea that things are sort of permanently the way they are...right now.
Whether we look at these things through the lens of science or philosophy/theology, it's easy to get lulled into the belief that the world is unchanging. But the truth is, the world is always changing, in every moment of every day. And the clock below helps you see that in a really powerful way.
There is something quite powerful about it, really. Kind of like meditating on the vastness of the Grand Canyon, or the stars in outer space. There is something about being aware, even just statistically, of how things are constantly in a state of change, that is deeply spiritual and profound.
So, play around with this counter for a while. And, quite literally, watch the world go by:
Poodwaddle.com
Father's Day
Jun/17/2007 05:27 PM | Permalink
Don't think I can really do much better today than to
refer you to
what I wrote
two-years-ago.
Happy Father's Day, everyone.
Happy Father's Day, everyone.
May 29
May/29/2007 11:45 PM | Permalink
Like most dates on the yearly calendar, if you look
back through history at May 29 you find a lot of
interesting things happened.
For example, on this date in 526 Antioch was struck by an earthquake that may have killed as many as 250,000 people.
In 1453, Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, effectively ending the Byzantine Empire.
Rhode Island became a state on this day in 1790.
Bing Crosby recorded his definitive version of "White Christmas" on May 29, 1942.
And 1993, Jose Canseco --an Outfielder/DH by trade-- pitched for the Texas Rangers (and injured his arm...) during a meaningless 15-1 loss.
Yes, there are a lot of things that have happened on May 29 through history. And there's one more memorable thing that happened that year Canseco pitched. Only it wasn't memorable for its boneheadedness. Instead, it's one of the best moments of my life:
On May 29 1993, Dennise and I got married.
We got hitched at 4 pm, at Highland Park UMC, where I served on staff at the time. It was a great wedding attended by a whole lot of folks. So many folks we're sure we never saw them all that day. We had a great reception over at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. And afterwards, it was off in a blaze off bird seed (rice wasn't permitted...).
It had been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Within the span of less than three weeks, Dennise finished her final law exams, we moved our separate possessions into our first house over in "Little Forest Hills," she graduated from law school, officially started her first job, and we got married.
Oh yeah...and when that was done, it was time for her to study for the bar.
Besides that, nothing really happened that first year.
So after that whirlwind of activity, we got to the end of our reception, and realized we really didn't know what we were going to do next. We were hungry, actually, didn't have plans for dinner, and could really use some time to decompress. So, we drove back to Highland Park, picked up our car, and coaxed a few friends to join us at the Blue Goose, down on Greenville. (Including one very confused friend of mine --who shall remain nameless-- and who was arriving for the at the church --she thought the wedding was at 7-- just as we were returning from the reception. We invited to her to go with us too...)
Along with several of my oldest friends in the world, we went out, had Tex-Mex, a couple Margaritas, and just relaxed.
It was awesome.
Today, as we celebrate 14-years of marriage, we did it again. We piled Maria into the Prius with us, and made the sojourn out of the wilds of North Dallas, back to East Dallas.
We dined at the Blue Goose. We drove up and down the streets of our old "hood," remembering coffeehouses and clubs that I'd played at, and parks where we used to take walks. We drove past the log house, just for kicks. (We have new renters moving in this week...) We drove past the house on Huntley, where we lived when Maria was born.
Then, we drove over to "Little Forest Hills," to the first place we lived together...the house on Groveland. Which meant, of course, that we drove past White Rock Lake, and remembered all the walks, picnics, and bike rides we used to take there.
All along the way, we kept a running tour-guide-like narration going for Maria, telling her the meaning and memory behind almost every building in Lakewood, Lower Greenville, Junius Heights, and "Little Forest Hills."
She was singularly unimpressed. Actually, I got that she was very impressed. She's just getting to the age when it's no longer cool to let your parents know you're impressed.
BTW, I've found in recent years that May 29 is also a very fine day for others to get married too. Several of my musicians friends have gotten married on the 29th. Tom and Carrie did just a year ago. And Dave Stoddard and his wife got married on this day a year after us. (Congrats on the adoption, by the way...)
All in all, it's been a really good 14-years. I think actually seeing all our old haunts not only reminded us how both we and they have changed, but also about the ground we've covered in those years.
In new the movie "Rocky Balboa," Rocky is now in his fifties and still lives in South Philly. He runs an Italian restaurant, where his boxing memorabilia lines the walls. The "rounds" he makes now are table-to-table, sharing old war stories of his title fights with the diners. One night, Rocky's walking those old familiar streets, and muses "I think if you live in a place long enough, you become that place."
After more than 40 years here in Dallas it certainly feels more and more that way to me. So many streets --and four or five neighborhoods now-- are filled with so many memories. I find that, on every street I drive with regularity these days, there is not only a present-day meaning, but also --if I let it-- a memory from childhood, high school, graduate school, or early married life. These streets have layers of meaning now, like an old Redwood tree.
I drive down Belt Line in North Dallas, and I remember not only driving that road last week, but I can also see the ghost of the high-school-me, tooling around in my 65 Mustang, gunning that sweet and powerful V-8 engine, and blaring "Hotel California" out the windows. I make the commute to Northaven, in Preston Hollow, and suddenly I'm with Kevin and John --in the days before our voices changed and we gave girls a second thought-- and we're at the Royal Lane 7-11 buying baseball cards
.
I can almost smell the bubble gum.
I go to East Dallas, into Lakewood Hardware, and can remember the first repairs I did on our new house. I drive down Swiss, and remember how we used to take walks with my sister, Dianne, when she lived just blocks away and Maria was in a baby stroller. I drive down Huntley and remember how both Maria and the music for my first CD were born there in that house near the corner of Gaston. I drive down Worth Street and see the log house, and remember wonderful times. And even though I can no longer imagine living there in the right now, there is still something about that house, and all of East Dallas, that will always speak more to who Dennise and I are than North Dallas ever can.
Many ghosts of friends and family, no longer present, still haunt each corner. Most of them are friendly ghosts, and very familiar ones.
The last 14-years of these memories have been spent with Dennise. And it was great to drive around tonight and remember all the ghosts together.
As Maria half-listened, admittedly the stories weren't nearly as monumental as many of the other world events I mentioned. But the world certainly changed for us that day. Long after our family's forgotten Jose Canseco, we'll remember May 29, 1993.
To paraphrase Rocky, I think if you live with a person long enough, you become more that person too. And that's a good thing. It's something that only comes through the living of not just one year, or two, but year after year.
It was good to re-remember some of those places that had been --and still are-- important to us. And above all, important to remember just how much we still mean to each other today.
Happy Anniversary, D.
Love,
E
For example, on this date in 526 Antioch was struck by an earthquake that may have killed as many as 250,000 people.
In 1453, Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, effectively ending the Byzantine Empire.
Rhode Island became a state on this day in 1790.
Bing Crosby recorded his definitive version of "White Christmas" on May 29, 1942.
And 1993, Jose Canseco --an Outfielder/DH by trade-- pitched for the Texas Rangers (and injured his arm...) during a meaningless 15-1 loss.
Yes, there are a lot of things that have happened on May 29 through history. And there's one more memorable thing that happened that year Canseco pitched. Only it wasn't memorable for its boneheadedness. Instead, it's one of the best moments of my life:
On May 29 1993, Dennise and I got married.
We got hitched at 4 pm, at Highland Park UMC, where I served on staff at the time. It was a great wedding attended by a whole lot of folks. So many folks we're sure we never saw them all that day. We had a great reception over at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center. And afterwards, it was off in a blaze off bird seed (rice wasn't permitted...).
It had been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Within the span of less than three weeks, Dennise finished her final law exams, we moved our separate possessions into our first house over in "Little Forest Hills," she graduated from law school, officially started her first job, and we got married.
Oh yeah...and when that was done, it was time for her to study for the bar.
Besides that, nothing really happened that first year.
So after that whirlwind of activity, we got to the end of our reception, and realized we really didn't know what we were going to do next. We were hungry, actually, didn't have plans for dinner, and could really use some time to decompress. So, we drove back to Highland Park, picked up our car, and coaxed a few friends to join us at the Blue Goose, down on Greenville. (Including one very confused friend of mine --who shall remain nameless-- and who was arriving for the at the church --she thought the wedding was at 7-- just as we were returning from the reception. We invited to her to go with us too...)
Along with several of my oldest friends in the world, we went out, had Tex-Mex, a couple Margaritas, and just relaxed.
It was awesome.
Today, as we celebrate 14-years of marriage, we did it again. We piled Maria into the Prius with us, and made the sojourn out of the wilds of North Dallas, back to East Dallas.
We dined at the Blue Goose. We drove up and down the streets of our old "hood," remembering coffeehouses and clubs that I'd played at, and parks where we used to take walks. We drove past the log house, just for kicks. (We have new renters moving in this week...) We drove past the house on Huntley, where we lived when Maria was born.
Then, we drove over to "Little Forest Hills," to the first place we lived together...the house on Groveland. Which meant, of course, that we drove past White Rock Lake, and remembered all the walks, picnics, and bike rides we used to take there.
All along the way, we kept a running tour-guide-like narration going for Maria, telling her the meaning and memory behind almost every building in Lakewood, Lower Greenville, Junius Heights, and "Little Forest Hills."
She was singularly unimpressed. Actually, I got that she was very impressed. She's just getting to the age when it's no longer cool to let your parents know you're impressed.
BTW, I've found in recent years that May 29 is also a very fine day for others to get married too. Several of my musicians friends have gotten married on the 29th. Tom and Carrie did just a year ago. And Dave Stoddard and his wife got married on this day a year after us. (Congrats on the adoption, by the way...)
All in all, it's been a really good 14-years. I think actually seeing all our old haunts not only reminded us how both we and they have changed, but also about the ground we've covered in those years.
In new the movie "Rocky Balboa," Rocky is now in his fifties and still lives in South Philly. He runs an Italian restaurant, where his boxing memorabilia lines the walls. The "rounds" he makes now are table-to-table, sharing old war stories of his title fights with the diners. One night, Rocky's walking those old familiar streets, and muses "I think if you live in a place long enough, you become that place."
After more than 40 years here in Dallas it certainly feels more and more that way to me. So many streets --and four or five neighborhoods now-- are filled with so many memories. I find that, on every street I drive with regularity these days, there is not only a present-day meaning, but also --if I let it-- a memory from childhood, high school, graduate school, or early married life. These streets have layers of meaning now, like an old Redwood tree.
I drive down Belt Line in North Dallas, and I remember not only driving that road last week, but I can also see the ghost of the high-school-me, tooling around in my 65 Mustang, gunning that sweet and powerful V-8 engine, and blaring "Hotel California" out the windows. I make the commute to Northaven, in Preston Hollow, and suddenly I'm with Kevin and John --in the days before our voices changed and we gave girls a second thought-- and we're at the Royal Lane 7-11 buying baseball cards
.
I can almost smell the bubble gum.
I go to East Dallas, into Lakewood Hardware, and can remember the first repairs I did on our new house. I drive down Swiss, and remember how we used to take walks with my sister, Dianne, when she lived just blocks away and Maria was in a baby stroller. I drive down Huntley and remember how both Maria and the music for my first CD were born there in that house near the corner of Gaston. I drive down Worth Street and see the log house, and remember wonderful times. And even though I can no longer imagine living there in the right now, there is still something about that house, and all of East Dallas, that will always speak more to who Dennise and I are than North Dallas ever can.
Many ghosts of friends and family, no longer present, still haunt each corner. Most of them are friendly ghosts, and very familiar ones.
The last 14-years of these memories have been spent with Dennise. And it was great to drive around tonight and remember all the ghosts together.
As Maria half-listened, admittedly the stories weren't nearly as monumental as many of the other world events I mentioned. But the world certainly changed for us that day. Long after our family's forgotten Jose Canseco, we'll remember May 29, 1993.
To paraphrase Rocky, I think if you live with a person long enough, you become more that person too. And that's a good thing. It's something that only comes through the living of not just one year, or two, but year after year.
It was good to re-remember some of those places that had been --and still are-- important to us. And above all, important to remember just how much we still mean to each other today.
Happy Anniversary, D.
Love,
E
Bragging on Dennise (Again)
Mar/01/2007 07:27 AM | Permalink
As I mentioned two weeks
ago,
I have yet another reason to brag about Dennise.
Tonight at SMU, Dennise will receive the SMU Women’s Symposium "Profiles in Leadership Award." The Profiles in Leadership Award "recognizes Dallas women who exemplify the purpose of the Women’s Symposium, which is to educate women for social and political leadership."
Judge Garcia is, as you have heard me mention before, the "presiding judge" of the Dallas County Family Courts and the first Hispanic woman elected to a county-wide state district court in Dallas history. Among the other honorees tonight are Rev. Jo Hudson from Cathedral of Hope, and Rev. Bubba Dailey from Austin Street Centre for the homeless.
It's been a pleasure for me to be a colleague to both of them for many years now. I have known Bubba for almost 20 years, and remember fondly many nights when I'd take church groups to the shelter and Bubba and I would "catch up" in between the craziness of serving the clients there. Jo serves a church with many similar social and theological values to ours, and it's been a pleasure visiting with her from time to time about our common dreams and visions for ministry.
Along with Anne Marie Weiss-Armush --founder and chair of the Board of Directors of DFW International-- and Stacy Eppers --who has significant experience in mentoring young women through her work with Community Partners of Dallas-- this is quite a dynamic group of women, and I know Dennise is truly honored to be among them.
What's really fun about Dennise getting this award is that the symposium is an event she was involved in as a student. I recall how, during that first year we met, she worked as a student organizer and participant in the symposium. (In fact, I think the Daily Campus even ran a story about her involvement in the symposium...) So, I can remember how honored she was to be among such women of achievement even back then. And I can specifically remember how honored she was to be among women who broke ground, broke stereotypes, and pushed the boundaries of what women can achieve.
Now, years later, she's one of those women of achievement, breaking ground through her election and service to the courts. And like her election itself --and rise to presiding judge-- I know she's both amazed and humbled at the same time.
She couldn't be more grateful. And you've got to know I couldn't be prouder.
Tonight at SMU, Dennise will receive the SMU Women’s Symposium "Profiles in Leadership Award." The Profiles in Leadership Award "recognizes Dallas women who exemplify the purpose of the Women’s Symposium, which is to educate women for social and political leadership."
Judge Garcia is, as you have heard me mention before, the "presiding judge" of the Dallas County Family Courts and the first Hispanic woman elected to a county-wide state district court in Dallas history. Among the other honorees tonight are Rev. Jo Hudson from Cathedral of Hope, and Rev. Bubba Dailey from Austin Street Centre for the homeless.
It's been a pleasure for me to be a colleague to both of them for many years now. I have known Bubba for almost 20 years, and remember fondly many nights when I'd take church groups to the shelter and Bubba and I would "catch up" in between the craziness of serving the clients there. Jo serves a church with many similar social and theological values to ours, and it's been a pleasure visiting with her from time to time about our common dreams and visions for ministry.
Along with Anne Marie Weiss-Armush --founder and chair of the Board of Directors of DFW International-- and Stacy Eppers --who has significant experience in mentoring young women through her work with Community Partners of Dallas-- this is quite a dynamic group of women, and I know Dennise is truly honored to be among them.
What's really fun about Dennise getting this award is that the symposium is an event she was involved in as a student. I recall how, during that first year we met, she worked as a student organizer and participant in the symposium. (In fact, I think the Daily Campus even ran a story about her involvement in the symposium...) So, I can remember how honored she was to be among such women of achievement even back then. And I can specifically remember how honored she was to be among women who broke ground, broke stereotypes, and pushed the boundaries of what women can achieve.
Now, years later, she's one of those women of achievement, breaking ground through her election and service to the courts. And like her election itself --and rise to presiding judge-- I know she's both amazed and humbled at the same time.
She couldn't be more grateful. And you've got to know I couldn't be prouder.
Valentines Day in the 303rd
Feb/16/2007 12:23 AM | Permalink
Now and then, I get the great honor of bragging about
my wife. (I'll do it again in about two weeks...)
This time, it's a DMN story set to run in this morning's edition (Feb 15) . A reporter and photog followed Dennise and her staff around for the day, working the angle of what Valentine's Day is like in the "divorce court." It's a nice idea, and nicely written. And you can read it here.
valentines303
Yes, I'm the un-named husband who made the mix tape for Judge Garcia. I even learned Tish Hinojosa's "Who Showed You the way to My Heart" in Spanish. (Called a friend for the exact translation from the record...) I believe the other songs were JT's "Something in the Way She Moves," and Fogelberg's "Believe in Me."
One correction to the story: while Dennise and I met her senior year in college, we didn't start dating until the summer afterwards. She had another boyfriend all that year, and we were coworkers to boot. Dennise and I were a part of a great RA staff during what was her last year a
This time, it's a DMN story set to run in this morning's edition (Feb 15) . A reporter and photog followed Dennise and her staff around for the day, working the angle of what Valentine's Day is like in the "divorce court." It's a nice idea, and nicely written. And you can read it here.
valentines303
Yes, I'm the un-named husband who made the mix tape for Judge Garcia. I even learned Tish Hinojosa's "Who Showed You the way to My Heart" in Spanish. (Called a friend for the exact translation from the record...) I believe the other songs were JT's "Something in the Way She Moves," and Fogelberg's "Believe in Me."
One correction to the story: while Dennise and I met her senior year in college, we didn't start dating until the summer afterwards. She had another boyfriend all that year, and we were coworkers to boot. Dennise and I were a part of a great RA staff during what was her last year a