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Archive for August, 2008

Overachiever

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

I myself am an overachiever, as a matter of fact. How many times have you gotten yourself out of bed today? Just one, you say? Me, I’ve done it THREE times. Yep, that’s two naps for me. I’m taking the day of rest suggestion to heart today, that’s for sure.

Our pastor spoke about speaking words of encouragement today. And, it got me thinking, has someone said something specific to me once upon a time that really impacted or changed the direction of my life? I’m sure it’s happened many times, but one that I can remember specifically was another pastor years ago reciting the following quote by Charles Swindoll:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.

Is that not cool?

Now, leave me alone. Get away from my blog. I have a bad attitude, and I’m sure I need a nap.

Posted in IF I WAS A MENTOR | No Comments »

My mom is better than your mom

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

So, what would you do if you were recently widowed, living in a new place, and it’s your birthday? If you are my Mom, you throw yourself a party! It’s Mom’s birthday today. Happy Birthday, Mom, you’re the best! I could say she’s the worst if I wanted to, and there would be no harm, ’cause she’s not going to read this. The Internet and her are not exactly on speaking terms, although they’ve thrown a few glances at each other as of late. But, if you do happen upon this, Mom, I didn’t actually say you are the worst. I was just making a point. You are better than the best!

The siblings and I have been in contact a little bit over the past few weeks talking about what we should do for Mom’s birthday. We were worried for her since it’s one of those dreaded “firsts” since Dad died. We hadn’t made any plans before we received a call from an awesome couple from up north who adore Mom. They are coming down to surprise her for her birthday! Isn’t that cool? My part in the surprise was just to make sure Mom didn’t plan anything else for her big day so SingingSally and I were going to schedule taking her out to dinner.

We failed. Mom decided to throw herself a party today. And, you know what? We weren’t so much invited!! Yeah, you read that right. You think she’s embarrassed by us around her new friends? I’m guessing we aren’t cool enough. Well, I’m sure I am, but SingingSally is questionable.

With all that has happened since January, I’m reminded today of something rather important that has gotten lost in the shuffle. In January, when Mom & Dad were both diagnosed with cancer, Mom’s initial diagnosis was stage IV lung cancer. It proved to be wrong. But….. let me just say that we were incredibly frightened she would not see another birthday. So, we have much, much, much to be thankful for. And, I’d tell her that to her face if I was allowed to be in her presence today. If you see my Mom, would you tell her?

Posted in Family | 4 Comments »

It’s kind of quiet around here

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

On Saturday, SingingSally and I went through the parental ritual of dropping our kids off at college. Funny, it doesn’t matter whether you’re putting your child on the bus for the first time, walking them into their third grade classroom the first day of school, or lugging their assorted stuff into their college apartment on move-in day, the feeling is the same. Nervous, excited, scared, proud – totally all rolled up into one.

This experience was no where near as hard on me as dropping Bud off at college the first time. I made a terrible error in that I did not anticipate how hard it would be to move him in and then just drive away. The first time around, right before leaving, it was important for me to let Bud know how I felt about the moment so I played a song for him that I felt summed it up. Here are the lyrics to Mark Harris’ “Find your Wings”

It’s only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I’ll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I’ll want to know
You’re walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you growChorus:
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I’m here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

It’s not living if you don’t reach for the sky
I’ll have tears as you take off
But I’ll cheer as you fly

I then began to blubber, and I’m not one to cry too easily. SweetGuy and Bud may even confess to a few tears as well. Sorry, Bud, we didn’t make it easy on you, did we?

This time around, I punched him on the shoulder and told him to go eat some Ramen Noodles. Here’s what’s changed in the last two years since I dropped him off the first time. I now KNOW he can take care of himself. I KNOW he can handle things on his own. I KNOW he is strong and smart and has common sense. He was an adult at 18, but now he is grown up.

I’m so very thankful for who he is. And, I’m just incredibly excited about what this year holds for him and his amazing cuz AUBS! who is walking this path stride for stride with Bud. No tears for you this time guys, but I am watching you soar into the clouds, and am cheering as loud as I possibly can!!!

Posted in Family | 1 Comment »

What I did with my evening

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

Tonight was a special event for youth group – Mud Volleyball!! It rocked.

There’s Magoo above to the left. She’s adding to her mud quotient. The night was extraordinary. We had 50-60 kids, great weather, awesome help from the church and parents, and made some memories.

There’s Da Kaff, Magoo, Debra, and Grace above. Despite my attempt to come away from the evening mud-free, Grace made sure to get me at least a little muddy. Thanks Grace… NOT! NO MORE MUD FOR YOU!!

While it was an extraordinary evening, I sit here a bit stunned. Why, you ask? Because I have no idea how to categorize this particular “face” of Magoo’s below. A little help please? This is too much for a mother’s brain to soak in all at once:

Wait for it… it’s worth it….

Here it comes….

Prepare yourself…

Posted in The Many Faces of Magoo, Youth Group | 7 Comments »

An old (dead) cat story

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

Some of you may have read this a few years ago. This situation came up in conversation last week, so I thought I’d post the original email I sent out about one interesting morning I had back in 2006:

I thought I’d pass along a story that you might all enjoy. So I’m driving Magoo to school this morning and notice a grey cat laying in the ditch by the side of the road less than 1/4 mile from our house. It looks very much like Duchess or Princess. I hurry on past and thankfully Magoo doesn’t notice. On my way back, I pull over and check the cat. Sure enough, it’s Duchess. She has no visible wounds, and just kind of looks like she fell asleep there, but she is cold and stiff and clearly must have been hit by a car. I can’t just leave her there. I load her into the back of the van and drive on home. Even though I knew I’d be late for work, I intended to wait until after Bud left and take the backhoe out and bury her.

Problem is that when I entered the garage, there is Duchess and Princess — both quite alive and well. I have someone else’s dead cat in the back of my van.

I consider myself pretty cool under pressure and able to do a good job of reasoning through situations and coming up with a good solution. Not this morning. My mind races with what to do with the cat. Do I return the cat to the side of the road? No, that just seems evil, and besides, anyone that knows our own cats, like SweetGuy, or Bud, or Magoo, is going to come to the same conclusion as I did when they see the dead grey cat by the road. Do I take the backhoe and bury it? Please, that’s a lot of work for someone else’s cat, and I’m already late for work. I can’t put it in our garbage, because the garbage man wouldn’t be back for a week. Put up a poster that says “FOUND – DEAD CAT”? Didn’t seem right to me. The solution I came up with, albeit not a good one, was to place the cat in a garbage sack and drive over to our condos in Washington and place the sack in the dumpster. I told myself this was OK since we do actually pay for the garbage collection there.

I only hope that no one saw me drive up, quickly jump out of the van, look around, and frantically throw the bag into the dumpster with a rather unpleasant thump. They may have suspected me of dumping a body…

Er, I guess I was.

Despite the fact that I feel very bad for the poor Jane Doe cat, I giggled all the way into work.

Posted in Home | 5 Comments »

Face 2 – irritation

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

This one I call “Barely restraining my tongue” or, if you prefer, “You are getting on my last nerve”.

This face is kind of subtle. Some people might say Magoo just has a slight smile on her face. That would be incorrect , there is definite emotion on that face. See the way her lips are a little tight and the eyes are slightly down turned, and the neck is tilted back a bit? She’s perturbed. No doubt about it. If Da Kaff doesn’t pull that Flamingo back soon, he’ll get a much harsher look, no doubt. He’s a smart guy, I’m guessing he backed off.

Bud has not yet learned the art of backing off.

For those of you who are visual learners:

In the interest of being fair and balanced, I promise Magoo’s next face will show a positive emotion. She does have ‘em!!

Posted in The Many Faces of Magoo | 9 Comments »

A New Day

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

There are big changes looming on the horizon for a lot of young people around here. Folks like Magoo, Grace, EL, DustMeister, and the White Rose are starting their senior year. Others, like AUBS!, Bud, and Emmy are entering a new school. So, in an installment of IF I WAS A MENTOR, here are a few thoughts for you all:

Seniors – enjoy every moment of this year. Don’t wish it away. This is a year like no other before, and maybe no other again. You are part of a special group – your senior class. This group will always have these years and experiences in common. Everything will change the moment this year is over. That’s OK, because it’s the way life works and you will be ready to move on. But, you will never have what you have now ever again. So soak it up.
New kids on the block – it’s a scary thing starting fresh in a new place. Recognize that in the beginning, it may be a little uncomfortable and uneasy at best, and downright depressing at worse. Don’t sweat the bad stuff, just know it WILL get better. Not just better… it will be great soon. Don’t worry about being new. Everyone else has been there at some point and they want to help you, so don’t hesitate to ask.
Seniors – you’ve got HUGE decisions to make this year. How do you make the right one? Pray about it, seek advice, follow your heart but pay attention to your brain.
Newbies – get involved! Right out of the starting blocks. Find something that you have an interest in and join it. And wherever you are, make sure you are a part of a group of Christians. We cannot maintain spiritual strength without support.
Seniors – Pass it on. Be mentors yourself. You need to know and believe (because it’s true!) that those younger than you are looking up to you and you can affect their lives. Make a point of affecting them well.
First-timers – You’re starting anew, make it count. Study hard. Reach out. Be approachable. Seek the Lord. Practice smart habits. Smile. Ask questions. Don’t procrastinate. Be steady. Feel the joy.

I’m so excited for all that is ahead of you. I love giving advice, but I have a little confession. My advice is based on nothing that I ever did right. My personal achievement that I was most proud of my senior year was the fact that I never attended an entire week of school. It was an impressive goal, no? And when I had to start anew? I usually walked through the halls with my head down and sat in the back of the class hoping no one would notice me. You all are so much cooler and smarter. So, listen up! Do what I say, not what I did.

Posted in IF I WAS A MENTOR | 4 Comments »

Random vacationisms

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

We are currently in Georgia driving home. This is my third round trip by car to Florida since January. Add to that two dismally delayed trips by air and by my calculations I have spent 2.7% of my life since January traveling back and forth to Florida. It’s a nice State and all, but it really needs to move closer to Illinois.
Having a laptop with Internet access in the car is AMAZING. Seriously, this family can go without TV endlessly, but take the Internet away for too long and we start to get the shakes.
Having a DVD player in the van is amazing too. Bud is currently initiating Magoo on the Bourne movies.
We are spoiled with our electronics… and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Atlanta was, um, interesting.
OK, Atlanta was SCARY. I feel bad saying that, but I’m just being honest here. There were many, many scary people on the streets where we were at, and I was very ready to get our family outta there.
Cross another stadium off the life list! We went to Turner Field in Atlanta and loved it. The weather was beautiful and the stadium was not spectacular but really pleasant. SweetGuy was soaking in the baseballness of it all. He was our running commentary during the game.
Atlanta lost.
We refused to do the Tomahawk Chop. We are Cubs fans. We don’t do the wave or the chop.
Getting out of Turner Field was a NIGHTMARE. They are doing major construction and we, along with about a gajillion other cars wandered around Atlanta at 11:30 at night in one continuous traffic jam trying to find an open ramp onto I-75. I was ecstatic to see Atlanta in my rear view mirror after the 90 minutes it took us to crawl our way out.
Florida was restful and fun. Universal Studios was a blast. Bud was a trooper and went on some thrill rides, which he abhors. We rewarded him with allowing him to take 7 naps the following day. Naps are his favorite vacation activity, and he’s quite adept at them.
Da Kaff’s family is much cooler than ours. His family was on vacation out west at the same time we were in Florida. He and Magoo were in constant text contact. While his family was doing things like taking a Jeep ride through Sedona and watching a meteor shower at night from an observatory, we were trying to decide whether to eat and then nap, or nap and then eat. Because of this disparity in impressiveness we took to telling Da Kaff jokes, much like Chuck Norris jokes. “Da Kaff petrified the forest himself — with his calves.”
Bud misses the dogs. Me? We have dogs?
We were very blessed to be able to stay at Mom’s beautiful house in Florida. It made for a fabulous, reasonably priced, vacation.
We are very blessed to be able to take vacations.
Who knows how many more vacations we will take as a family of four. It will end one of these years. And, when it does, that will be OK. Life is constantly evolving and we will take what we can get. And be able to cherish these memories of times just the four of us know about. And Da Kaff knows too, because he was consistently watching us with his x-ray vision from 22 states away — with his calves.

Posted in Family, Travel | No Comments »

A guest post – used without permission

Friday, August 15th, 2008

We’ve spent the week in Florida on vacation, staying at Nanni’s place and doing little jaunts from there. We went to Weeki Wachi park for a day — where a one day pass costs $24.95, and a two day pass costs $24.95, and an all season pass costs $29.95. My take on their interesting pricing scheme is that they are looking for a few suckers like us to pay the fee the first time, and then KNOW they will never return. Actually, we aren’t suckers. We had a pretty good idea of what to expect. And it did not disappoint. For those of you who are ignorant of the wonders of Weeki Wachi, it was one of the first “theme parks” in the world. It opened in 1947 and its claim to fame is a live “mermaid” show. I can understand why this might have been pretty cool mid 20th century, but it’s not so much now. Compared to one of the big Orlando theme parks, Weeki Wachi is like a duct tape dress next to a designer gown. Nevertheless, we had a blast. SweetGuy laughed, almost uncontrollably, the entire time. I’ll post a few pictures later…

It was harder than we all thought being at Mom & Dad’s Florida house. The memories there are very fresh. And, wonderful as they are, it’s a bit tough. In honor of the recent past, I thought I’d post a copy of what Magoo and Emmy wrote on the Caring Bridge site when they were in Florida last Spring. What I love most about their posts is the obvious mixture of laughter and gratitude:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2008 11:04 PM, CST

Hello everyone,This is Bruce and Eileen’s granddaughter Emily. Today we had a great day. Nanni and Bumpi (our names for them) are looking great. They might not be feeling like champs, but to us, they sure look like champs. Nanni had a doctor’s appointment today, but other than that we spent the day hanging around the house; everyone enjoying each other’s company (among a few naps here and there), and some good food (it was great to see them eating.) We teased Bumpi a bit about “Games That You Can Play With Bumpi’s Oxygen Line.” Among the games there is the ever so fun “Jump the Oxygen Line,” in which we use Bruce’s line to play a nice game of jump rope, and, in case anyone was wondering, it is possible to get double-jump ropes going because of the line being so long. Then there is the classic of “Follow the line,” sort of a slower version of follow the leader. One of my personal favorites is “Hide-and-Bump-seek,” where Bumpi hides and we follow his oxygen line to find him. But better than all of those kid games is the gambling that is going on over “How Many Times Will Bumpi Go To the Bathroom In One Hour.” Today’s winner is Aunt Sue, to me. But really, it has be a day full of laughter and good conversation. Thanks for the thoughts and the prayers and for checking in with this website to see how they are doing. They appreciate it, the cards, the calls, and the love from all of you. You have no idea. God has blessed us today, yet again. Thanks again.–Emily

SATURDAY, MARCH 01, 2008 09:26 PM, CST

Ok, so this is the other grandaughter (the better one) Danielle, speaking. Today was just a laid back day in the Wright household. We had a nice and lazy morning where we all layed around and talked. Aunt Sue, Aunt Sally, Emily, and I all went to a used bookstore just to have fun, look around, and buy some enjoyable reading material. So after that we came back to the house and just were happy being around each other. Aunt Sue, Emily, and I swam in the pool. There were, of course random naps dispersed throughout the day. Sonny came over for a little bit and we all enjoyed his company. Aunt Sally, Bumpi, Emily, and I all went to the beach for a little bit. It was a little too cold to go swimming, but we walked around, talked, and collected seashells. Don and Julie came over for a little bit. They are just the sweetest people ever, and they make Nanni and Bumpi so happy. We went and picked up Applebee’s for supper and had a chocolate applesauce cake that I had made earlier for dessert. Bumpi was talking about his life as a kid, and it was so interesting to hear about.

As far as medical stuff is concerned, today was a pretty good day. Bumpi was pretty perky today (or as perky as he ever is.) He was such a good sport when we wanted to wrap him up in his oxygen tube and take pictures. Today wasn’t quite as good for Nanni. Her shoulder is hurting her a little, although not terribly.

Aunt Sally, Emily, and I leave very early tomorrow morning, but we have had such an amazing couple of days here. I love my grandparents more than ever, and I want to thank everyone for caring so much about them. They truly do appreciate everything, so thank you so much.

Posted in Family | 1 Comment »

Never get tired of this

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

It is almost more unusual for us to NOT see deer on a given day than to see a deer on our land. My friend Mardi is never happy to see deer at her place because the deer eat everything she tries to grow in her yard. But, we have the advantage of 600 fruit trees. The deer eat the fruit, and leave everything else alone. If only I could get them to eat our weeds. I spotted this guy pictured below the other day while I was mowing and grabbed my new telephoto lense to see how well it would do. He checked me out for about 2 seconds and then bolted, as they always do. That’s OK, he’ll be back again.

Posted in Animals, Wonderful | 2 Comments »