Santa's Secret Identity

I figured it would be reasonably obvious, but Virginia tells me that nobody is likely to guess the secret identity of our Harbour Lights Preschool Santa from a few posts back. (It was me... and a pillow... shhhhh...)

Christmas Pics

As we all know, the best part of Christmas has to do with families in general, kids in particular, and the warm presence of friends mixed in.

Kaleb got a new game for the Wii waiting for him at home.

Claire is best at just being adorable.

Jeremy's new Wii provided a fun outlet for him and Kaleb. Claire wanted in on the action as well.

The whole family!!

Jeremy and Jen with an old HS friend, Lauren Brown, who lives in SF. It was indeed special having her with us for dinner one evening.

The card wall...

Merry Christmas!!

A Visit from Santa

Santa made the long trek from the north pole to Harbor Lights Christian Preschool today. He and the kids had a blast.

... and Santa sure sweated a lot in that suit!!!

Christmas Clips

About this time each year Christmasy video clips begin making the rounds. Some are pretty clever. This one and this one are two of my favorites. Check them out for some fun.

Random Holiday Thoughts

As I write this, I'm sitting cozied up in front of a very inviting fire. Though, in this age of technology and "spare the air" days in the Bay area, the crackling blaze before me is on the TV screen instead of in the fireplace next to it. Comcast offers several such Christmasy looking videos, complete with appropriate music, from the On Demand menu. Pretty cool (literally)... and no ashes to clean out!!

Anyone who knows me very well understands that I am not an eager shopper. While my kids are probably thinking, "That's gotta be in the top 10 understatements of the year," I do occasionally, out of necessity, swallow my aversion (some might say phobia) and head out to the stores. The Christmas season is one of those times when, after I actually have a few items selected, I get in the spirit and enjoy shopping... probably because of the smiling faces I'm envisioning. Well, VJ and I headed out this morning fairly early... not at 6:00 when the stores opened... but early enough that we still got the extra "power hour" discount at the checkout. I was both surprised and thrilled that we got much of our Christmas shopping accomplished within about 90 minutes... and all at discount, extra % off prices (but don't tell our kids). We were so thrifty, that we even got two free drinks at Pete's while "haggling" for a deal (actually, the sales person helped us accomplish that, as we were clueless).

So, what's up with so many Christians abandoning the word "holiday" during this season of the year? Suddenly, in the minds of many, it has become un-Christian to say "Happy Holidays" at this time of the year. Maybe they are just unaware that holiday derives from holy day. Oh well... Merry Christmas!

We got lights on the house a week or so back and stacked up all the other decorations in our bedroom. I think today we'll start to get them out and in their places. VJ's the boss on this one.

Today is Dick Van Dyke's birthday... born in West Plains, Missouri in 1925. Happy birthday, Dick!

Well, better go... time to put another log on the fire.

Achilles Update

Well, I actually had a request for an update on my Achilles tendon following the Topaz procedure I had done last May. For the most part I am happy with the results so far, and would do it again, knowing what I know now.

There is definitely a "thickening" of the tendon where the procedure was done, but that specific area is totally pain free. Even at 4 and 5 months there would be some swelling and pain in the tissue around the tendon, and tight socks would cause swelling. That is better now... of course, I am avoiding tight socks.

About the only time the area around the tendon hurts consistently at this point is in the morning when I get up. A little stretching on the stairs helps that.

Inactivity causes the area to stiffen up and be a little painful, but there are fewer and fewer issues with that as time goes on, especially if I am regular at the gym, walking, etc.

I have not yet started back running... and may never... but if the gradual improvement continues, I may give it a shot in a couple of months... we'll see. In the mean time, walking, biking and even hard work on an elliptical do not cause any pain or swelling. It is so nice to be able to go on a long and even strenuous hike without having to limp for 3 days.

Both my brother (an kinesiology prof) and my ortho doc have suggested that gradual improvement will likely continue until about 1 year post surgery, at which time what I have is... well... what I can expect from then on. For now, I think the decision to have the procedure was a good one, and I'm thankful for the results so far.

Years ago when I was a school counselor, I was always saddened and a little mystified that this holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year) always yields some of the highest stats for depression and suicide. I came to believe that this says as much about our culture's penchant for instilling unreasonable expectations and a perspective that is always looking for the next "high" instead of gratitude for the blessings around us as it does about individuals.

Literary critic, Barbara Johnson once wrote, "Some complain because the rose has thorns; some give thanks because the thorns have roses." I often wondered (and still do) just what influences (nature/nurture) lead us to lean one direction or the other.

I think my basic inclination is to be one of those who complains because of the thorns... but the older I get and the more I witness some who are miserable in a "glass-half-empty" existence, the more I ask God to change me into one who can see the blossoms. How about you?

Identity

"I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." - Augusten Burroughs

Quite a bit of wisdom for this 21st century humorist. Sounds as if he knows me!

Various

I ran across this quote the other day: "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy." (Ernest Benn) Doesn't sound as if things have changed too much in the last 100 years or so, does it?


In this day of have it your way lifestyles, maybe this clip and this one are not too far from being true. What do you think?


After looking at all of God's created beauty around Lake Tahoe, let me ask you one question. Which is more truly amazing, the creative wonders of nature or the smile on your granddaughter's face? (I'll bet you can guess which way I'm answering that!)

Holiday Birds

During the time we lived in Arkansas my mom started a tradition of smoking turkeys for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. The smoker she used (and I believe is still in her garage) is similar to the one to the left, complete with a dome lid. She would put a bag of charcoal in the bottom, a pan of water (and maybe some apple juice) above that, followed by two turkey stacked above one another. They always came out delicious, and, because she often smoked two birds, there was always plenty to freeze and eat another time.

I didn't take up the art of turkey smoking; when we moved here one of the guys at church loved to smoke turkeys around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we bought birds, and he smoked them for us.

However, Jeremy did continue the tradition. And he smokes not only turkeys, but all sorts of other meats as well. He started small, but now has the cool smoker to the right, which he uses to smoke meat for family, friends and church whenever he gets the chance.

Speaking of "tasty birds," someone sent me this clip a couple of years back, and it seems to be making the rounds again this year. Give it a listen... funny stuff.

Tahoe Trip, Part 3

On Saturday we checked out of our unit around 10:00 and drove south down the west side of the lake to Emerald Bay... one of those exquisitely beautiful locations. The shot above is the mountain overlooking the highway and Emerald Bay on the west. The highway at this point is about as far above the surface of the lake as these cliffs are above the highway. You'll also notice that there is no snow on this mountain. Some of the taller peaks away from the lake have snow, but that's all there is for now. Hope they get some soon!!

We hiked down the 1 mile road to Vikingsholm down by the lake. It was built as a summer home by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight in 1929. Click here for an fascinating story and some more photos.

Shot from the highway parking area of a paddle-wheeler touring the lake.

Same boat, different tour, from lake level.


Shot of the island about halfway down the trail to the bottom.

From some large rocks by the parking area at the top.

While at the bottom we also took a short hike over to a small water fall we remembered from a summer hike about 9 years ago. With the lack of rain, there is not much water, but still beautiful. Here are a couple of video clips.

Thanks for enjoying our Thanksgiving Tahoe trip with us!

Tahoe Trip, Part 2

Friday we spent a good part of the day on a long hike. Because of the lack of rain this last year, the lake is down with much wider beaches than normal (see pics in previous post). So, we started out heading east along the lake, just enjoying the water, the sun, and the cool air. When the beach turned into rocks, we turned north and headed up to a regional park we'd hiked in a couple of years ago. Because it's an area for cross country skiing, there are lots of well-marked trails... and some others as well. We headed up the mountain and literally hiked for hours. I think we left our unit around 11:40 and got home about 2:20. Along the way we took a few pics (of course), and here are some of those. Enjoy!

The outside of our one-bedroom unit.

Along the trail (thanks to the timer and a well-placed rock).

Up on the mountain we got this cool shot of two jet contrails crossing in the sky.


Looking down at the lake from one of the high points of the hike.

Tahoe Trip

Since this is the alternate year the kids are with us for Thanksgiving, VJ and I decided to head up to Tahoe for a few days as we did a couple of years ago. It rained on us lightly most of the drive up Wednesday, and we settled in for the night in our time share unit at Tahoe Sands with a cold drizzle. Thanksgiving day broke with blue skies, chilly air and some beautiful clouds. Enjoy the pics!

Refreshing

I just watched Obama's latest press conference. I gotta simply say that it is so refreshing to listen to a president-elect who can put words and ideas together in sentences that actually make sense... who can answer questions thoughtfully.

When listening to Clinton a part of me always felt like I was listening to a car salesman. When listening to Bush a voice somewhere inside usually whispered, "Boy, we are in trouble!" So far, with Obama, I feel more like I'm listening to a trusted advisor.

I guess time will tell... but at least the press conferences will make sense. The only folks I feel sorry for so far are the SNL cast.

Quote

"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." - George Bernard Shaw

Beyond the Doors

I remember as a kid being at a church building somewhere that had a sign above door to the auditorium that read something like, "Enter to worship, leave to serve." Without getting into a philosophical conversation about service actually being a form of worship, I actually like the statement's sentiment. I like it because it recognizes that life as a Christian is more than what we do on Sunday; it assumes that our Christianity extends beyond the doors of our buildings; it also implies that much of what we do on Sunday should prepare us to be the hands and feet of Jesus the rest of the week.

Today I drove to the office thinking mostly about getting enough work done so VJ and I can enjoy a couple of days away for Thanksgiving. I was busy working and took a break, walking into the foyer. As I looked across the parking lot I noticed that the Red Cross folks were setting up for the blood drive we host every 8 weeks. About that time one of the 22 families our church is helping with food for Thanksgiving came it to pick up a gift card and a turkey. As he was leaving he walked past a grocery cart overflowing with food donations our church members brought Sunday. Brice stopped by before they headed out of town, and we talked a little about the special contribution we'll take Sunday to help fund our pantry in 2009. Ruth and I talked about getting the Giving Tree tags all ready for our church members who will buy Christmas gifts for several children and families. I then thought about tomorrow being one of our pantry days, with several families coming in for groceries... and I stopped, a warm feeling growing from within, smiled, and gave thanks for the blessing of just noticing.

I know our church can grow in the ways we do ministry... the ways we reach out to others... but I am so glad to be part of a church family, a group of people, who understand at some level that being a Christian goes beyond the doors.

Holiday Spirit

Thanksgiving is coming, complete with good food, gratitude for friends and family, and likely a few family traditions. Tonight in our small group one of the questions I asked was, "Who is one person you are thankful for that, whatever reason, you never told them how you feel." It made for some interesting stories and led to some conversion about our gratitude for Jesus. We shared a little bread and wine as we gave thanks for his sacrifice and for the relationships we share in Him. It was a good evening.

Equally in the holiday spirit, our son Jeremy "elfed" some of us into this video. It's a hoot! Who'd have thought these c of c kids would be busting so many dance moves?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Strawberry Guava Trees

One of Virginia's childhood memories (and actually a memory I have from our early married days) is of visiting her grandparents in San Diego and having her grandfather make his special whole wheat pancakes. The syrup of choice, if available, was always strawberry guava juice (sort of a puree) from the trees in the back yard. Her parents grew some of those trees from cuttings in their yard in Oxnard, and the tradition continued.

Our climate in Cabot included winters that were too cold for the guava trees, but when we moved to Houston in 1990 we pretty much entered the tropics, and the climate was perfect for them. VJ's dad (Lyle) brought some cuttings on one of their early visits and planted 5 along our west fence in the back yard. Two died and one struggled, but two of them did really well, and we harvested many pounds of strawberry guava's almost every year.

Not long after we moved here in January, 2004, we visited VJ's folks' place in Carlsbad, where cuttings had started new guava trees several years prior. We pulled up some seedlings and brought them north to Antioch. Since our winters have been pretty mild, two have survived, and this afternoon we transplanted the second one from a large pot into the ground. The one that is already in the ground even has what look to be small guavas... we'll see.

Who knows, in a couple of more years we may be able to invite you over for whole wheat pancakes... with guava juice.

Quotations

I love quotes... some quotes make an important point... others are dripping with sarcasm... some just make me smile. Here are three of the latter.

I'm not really a pessimist, but this is one of my all time favorites: "The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." - George F. Will

I love this one because it could soooo be me if not for Microsoft Outlook: "I write down everything I want to remember. That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on." - Beryl Pfizer

And, finally, a classic quote from the master of no respect: "When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them." - Rodney Dangerfield

Now, if you really want to smile just check out this clip of Claire trying to walk downhill at the arboretum the weekend we were in Moscow. Enjoy!

Or maybe this one of a dancing Claire.

Home Alone

OK, now that everyone reading this is working up some sympathy for me (or not), it wasn't really all that bad. Virginia flew to San Diego Thursday to spend some time with her sister, Susan, working on their folks place in a retirement mobile home park in Carlsbad. The mobile home will eventually be leased to some family friends, but for now the main task is to sort through years and years of accumulated memories and stuff, finding hidden treasures and discarding or giving away much of the rest. Susan had accompanied Kent on a conference trip, so it was a good time for VJ to join forces with her to get some work done.

My guess is it was also a good time for them to just catch up... talk a little... walk on the beach... talk a little more... and... well... finish each day with a good talk. The ongoing task at the double-wide is far from complete, but thanks to Susan's previous efforts, they were able to get a lot done this weekend.

And, what is a visit to beautiful Carlsbad without a pic or two. It's only about a half mile walk from the mobile home to the spot below on the cliffs overlooking the beach. A climb down the stairs puts you pretty close to the water at high tide.

Virginia got home safely this afternoon in more than enough time for us to make it to our small group this evening. And... now I'm no longer home alone.

Veteran's Day

In recent years I've been all about reminding myself (and others to the extent they will listen) that even though we are Americans, loving our nation and all of that, we who claim to be Christians are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom with a King named Jesus.

Having said that, my heart still picks up a few beats and I stand a little taller whenever I'm in a situation that involves folks who have served in the military, our flag, patriotic music, and other icons of the USA. Even though I'm pretty sure God doesn't consider our country to be his "chosen people" and the idea of a theocratic government scares me, I am proud of our heritage as a nation... proud that both as individual Americans and as a government we've tried to use His principles of mercy and justice to build a society. We have not always done that as well as we might have, but just the fact that we've elected a president whose ancestors could have been part of the slave labor that built the White House gives me hope.

Today is Veteran's Day and there was a parade in downtown Antioch. One of our kids from church is part of the Pittsburg HS Show Band (pretty good band that gets invited to places all over because of their style and showmanship), so I headed down town to catch the parade.

I was glad I did. There were actually a good crowd up and down the short parade route, and everyone was obviously having a good time. It was one more of those occasions when I was touched at a heart level by those who serve our nation, and I gave thanks to God for the blessing.

Here are a few pics I took with my phone.

The El Campanil Theatre, a downtown Antioch building from the 1920's that has been restored and host classic movies, plays and musical events.

The National Anthem being sung very well by a local talent.

Lots of flags.

The Pittsburg HS band, one of three HS bands in the parade.

And, of course, what parade is complete without some motorcycle clubs honoring our veterans. About the only thing missing was the horses... but, then again, those in the bands and other marching groups probably didn't miss the horses.

Happy Veteran's Day!!

Moscow Trip - 3, U of I Arboretum

One afternoon while we were in Moscow we went to the University of Idaho Arboretum. It was established about 10 years ago, and they are doing a wonderful job adding interesting species. What a cool place for horticulture majors to get their hands dirty. Here are some shots from the visit.

Old barn at the entrance used for storage.

Kaleb running and playing. Housing area just above.

Oh, my!! Some of these shots still take my breath away!

Years ago we took a similar shot of our two kids posing on an oak tree branch in a canyon in SoCal.

I forget the name of this tree, but it had clusters of these red berries.

Leaf play.

These interesting trees are conifers but the needles turn color and drop off like most leafed trees. Pretty cool!