I love secrets and surprises. Usually. But this year Chris opened her birthday gift a week early because… I JUST COULDN’T WAIT!!! I don’t know why I was so anxious to give Chris her gift this year, but I have been begging her to open the present every night since I purchased it. I got her a food processor. A good one. But wait…
Before you criticize me for buying her a kitchen appliance, please understand that Chris has been asking me for this for the better part of our marriage. And this weekend when I saw the KitchenAid Ultra Power KFP600 for less than ½ the retail price at Tuesday Morning’s in Fayetteville, I couldn’t resist. What a deal! But now I will spend the next week trying to find another gift that I can give her to open in a week. Any suggestions?
I enjoyed Amos Lee’s performance on Jay Leno this evening. What a musician! David Letterman introduced me to this wonderful artist just a few weeks ago and I have been hooked on his music since. A former elementary school teacher, this young troubadour really belts. I can just imagine the excitement his former students must experience when they hear his smoky voice on television.
Lastly tonight let me put in a plug for a new product I am trying out. It’s the Homedics TheraP Magnet Insoles. They are really terrific. I must confess that in the past I have been a big skeptic and scoffed at the idea of magnetic therapy for pain relief and pain therapy. However, since I have been wearing these insoles, for almost a week now, I have experienced great relief. It’s amazing. Working in retail and standing on a concrete floor for 8 hours a day has really taken a toll on my legs and feet. Most any evening I go home with achy feet and calves. But since I have been using these insoles, the pain has almost disappeared!
I hope you have a pain-free weekend.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Friday, March 25, 2005
Tribute to Terri
As legal doors have been closing one after another this week for the Schindlers, parents of Terri Schiavo, I have been stirred emotionally. I'm frustrated and angry about this case. I am one who chooses to error on the side of life and find it unconscionable that anyone could deprive a fellow human being of water and food, regardless of a health condition.
It is certainly a case that is very complex, however, I feel the decision of whether or not to pull the feeding tube is quite simple. No food or water equals certain death and I really feel that this is a crime. This is justice triumphing over mercy and is shameful.
I have pondered what I can do and I must confess I feel quite helpless. But after watching a program on television this evening, I realized that one thing I can do to honor Terri is to protect myself and my family from such a similar situation. I have learned that living wills are outdated and the importance of health care proxy's, "Advanced Directives", and "Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare" are the only things that can really protect us now, in this age where there are people in power that believe you are better off dead than disabled. So I spent the better part of this evening surfing the web for a legal site that could assist me in drawing up these documents for myself.
I found my assistance at http://www.lawdepot.com/ and I would encourage everyone, regardless of where you stand on the Schiavo case, to visit this site and get these two documents, an "Advanced Health Care Directive" and "Durable Power of Attorney", on file in the event, God forbid, you should be in Terri's shoes. It is just a few dollars and money well spent.
Tomorrow morning, before I head to St. Louis with my family for vacation, I will be stopping by our Notary to have my documents witnessed, signed and tucked away in our secure place, hopefully to never be seen again. But should that day come, my family and I will be protected.
God Bless you and God Bless America!
It is certainly a case that is very complex, however, I feel the decision of whether or not to pull the feeding tube is quite simple. No food or water equals certain death and I really feel that this is a crime. This is justice triumphing over mercy and is shameful.
I have pondered what I can do and I must confess I feel quite helpless. But after watching a program on television this evening, I realized that one thing I can do to honor Terri is to protect myself and my family from such a similar situation. I have learned that living wills are outdated and the importance of health care proxy's, "Advanced Directives", and "Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare" are the only things that can really protect us now, in this age where there are people in power that believe you are better off dead than disabled. So I spent the better part of this evening surfing the web for a legal site that could assist me in drawing up these documents for myself.
I found my assistance at http://www.lawdepot.com/ and I would encourage everyone, regardless of where you stand on the Schiavo case, to visit this site and get these two documents, an "Advanced Health Care Directive" and "Durable Power of Attorney", on file in the event, God forbid, you should be in Terri's shoes. It is just a few dollars and money well spent.
Tomorrow morning, before I head to St. Louis with my family for vacation, I will be stopping by our Notary to have my documents witnessed, signed and tucked away in our secure place, hopefully to never be seen again. But should that day come, my family and I will be protected.
God Bless you and God Bless America!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Remembering Ice Cream
I spent the evening tearing apart a framed collage of snapshots from way back in 1996. I am putting them in a more appropriate format, a scrapbook of sorts that will record some of the more poignant times in my life. I once read that "If life is worth living, it's worth recording." I've taken that to heart in several ways over the years with journaling, photo albums and videos. This new book I am working on is just another way of leaving a legacy in pictures. Please ask to see it if you are ever at the house. I'm anxious to show it off.
I took Chris and Bo to Branson on Friday night and we enjoyed "Lobsterfest" at Red Lobster. Coincidentally, I was the only one that enjoyed lobster. But everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal. We met up later with my Brother-in-law and Sister-in-law, David and Dana Ecklund, at the Stone Cold Creamery. What an incredible place that is, too.
This oh-so-good ice cream is blended with add-in's right before your eyes on frozen granite slates. You can order in three sizes: "Like It", "Love It", and "Gotta Have It." And let me tell you, all sizes are NOT created equally! Bo opted for some chocolate lovers nightmare and I, a coffee lovers dream. We both ordered the "Love It" size, however Bo got the deep end of the scoop. I was convinced the girl behind the counter thought I ordered a "Like It", but when she rang us up, it was apparent she just didn't have a good gauge on the size thing yet as she charged us for the same. But it was really a blessing in disguise, though, as the stuff is so rich I could barely get down what I did have. It was a real treat though and I'm sure we'll be visiting that place again... soon.
Anywell... have a great week.
I took Chris and Bo to Branson on Friday night and we enjoyed "Lobsterfest" at Red Lobster. Coincidentally, I was the only one that enjoyed lobster. But everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal. We met up later with my Brother-in-law and Sister-in-law, David and Dana Ecklund, at the Stone Cold Creamery. What an incredible place that is, too.
This oh-so-good ice cream is blended with add-in's right before your eyes on frozen granite slates. You can order in three sizes: "Like It", "Love It", and "Gotta Have It." And let me tell you, all sizes are NOT created equally! Bo opted for some chocolate lovers nightmare and I, a coffee lovers dream. We both ordered the "Love It" size, however Bo got the deep end of the scoop. I was convinced the girl behind the counter thought I ordered a "Like It", but when she rang us up, it was apparent she just didn't have a good gauge on the size thing yet as she charged us for the same. But it was really a blessing in disguise, though, as the stuff is so rich I could barely get down what I did have. It was a real treat though and I'm sure we'll be visiting that place again... soon.
Anywell... have a great week.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Swimming
Tonight I'm just getting in the water. Give me a minute to explain...
It has been quite some time since I have been swimming. It's my favorite form of exercise and I'm pretty bummed there is not a public (indoor) pool in this town. I have had some wonderful periods in my adult life when I swam somewhat regularly.
Swimming was one of the only "PE" classes I had in college. I remember those early mornings my sophomore year when my roommate Greg Tucker and I would get up oh so early to hoof it over to the pool to put in our time. I can remember the first time I could swim the entire length of that pool underwater without coming up for a breath! That was a pretty cool day.
Then there was the "season" in my life when I worked at DaySpring and decided I was going to loose weight for James and Dawn Marie Martin-Prather's wedding. I started mid-April going to the pool at JBU every day religiously to put in my 20 minutes. Every day for 3 months. I dropped about 45 pounds before their big day in August! It was a wonderful time.
And most recently were the days, and often nights, in Carpenteria when I would split my time between the city pool in Carp and the Goleta Health and Racquetball Club. Those were the Glory Days of my swimming experience. Both pools were surrounded by palm trees and there was almost always an ocean breeze to cool me off. But it isn't that easy for me. On some days it doesn't matter how beautiful the surroundings, I just simply do not want to swim!
And although I say it's my favorite form of exercise, I would regularly drag myself to the pool arguing, "All you have to do today is just stand in the water for 20 minutes if you don't want to swim." And many times I was determined that I would not swim. But in this exercise in discipline, to fulfill my commitment to "swim" every day, I was really playing a mind game.
It was a mind game because you can't just stand in water. Always within the first 5 minutes I would be turning out laps. You see, if you get in the water, something natural kicks in and you just have to swim. Which brings me to tonight.
I didn't want to blog this evening. Ever been there? But like my swimming exercise, my "getting in the water" tonight has once again lead to a healthy workout... this time it was a Blog workout!
It has been quite some time since I have been swimming. It's my favorite form of exercise and I'm pretty bummed there is not a public (indoor) pool in this town. I have had some wonderful periods in my adult life when I swam somewhat regularly.
Swimming was one of the only "PE" classes I had in college. I remember those early mornings my sophomore year when my roommate Greg Tucker and I would get up oh so early to hoof it over to the pool to put in our time. I can remember the first time I could swim the entire length of that pool underwater without coming up for a breath! That was a pretty cool day.
Then there was the "season" in my life when I worked at DaySpring and decided I was going to loose weight for James and Dawn Marie Martin-Prather's wedding. I started mid-April going to the pool at JBU every day religiously to put in my 20 minutes. Every day for 3 months. I dropped about 45 pounds before their big day in August! It was a wonderful time.
And most recently were the days, and often nights, in Carpenteria when I would split my time between the city pool in Carp and the Goleta Health and Racquetball Club. Those were the Glory Days of my swimming experience. Both pools were surrounded by palm trees and there was almost always an ocean breeze to cool me off. But it isn't that easy for me. On some days it doesn't matter how beautiful the surroundings, I just simply do not want to swim!
And although I say it's my favorite form of exercise, I would regularly drag myself to the pool arguing, "All you have to do today is just stand in the water for 20 minutes if you don't want to swim." And many times I was determined that I would not swim. But in this exercise in discipline, to fulfill my commitment to "swim" every day, I was really playing a mind game.
It was a mind game because you can't just stand in water. Always within the first 5 minutes I would be turning out laps. You see, if you get in the water, something natural kicks in and you just have to swim. Which brings me to tonight.
I didn't want to blog this evening. Ever been there? But like my swimming exercise, my "getting in the water" tonight has once again lead to a healthy workout... this time it was a Blog workout!
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Old Journals
I don’t think there are many things more therapeutic than reading old journals. While hunting in our basement for some old photo albums last night I came across a box of my old journals. I ended up spending the better part of the evening and into the early morning hours reading of myself. Some of the writings were over 20 years old. I spurred me to kick off this new level of journaling and dive into the world of Blogs!
If you are a member of the 1980 graduating class of Amboy High School in Amboy, Illinois, let me encourage you to mark your calendar for our 25th Class Reunion. It is to be held Homecoming weekend, September 30 – November 2. I am sure going to try and be there and I hope that you will too.
Anywell… I guess I will end this first installment with a hope and a prayer that I will be able to keep this going. I think the idea is terrific!
If you are a member of the 1980 graduating class of Amboy High School in Amboy, Illinois, let me encourage you to mark your calendar for our 25th Class Reunion. It is to be held Homecoming weekend, September 30 – November 2. I am sure going to try and be there and I hope that you will too.
Anywell… I guess I will end this first installment with a hope and a prayer that I will be able to keep this going. I think the idea is terrific!
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