A Finger in the Eye

Since Michael was only a few years old he has been wearing glasses. His early glasses were a bit oversized so his eyes looked small behind those big frames. I had forgotten about that until I looked at some pictures lately and then realized it. You never see it at the time, only in retrospect. Over the last few months he was making an argument for contacts and we finally bit the bullet and got them for him, an office visit and a year's supply for about $400. Fortunately in today's mail we got a rebate offer to take about $30 off that price so WOO-HOO!

What else is going on - oh! Last Saturday I bought a brand new 3x9x40 Leupold Rifleman scope for my .30-06 and replaced my old Bushnell that Annette bought for me over ten years ago. I got quite the deal at Cabela's during a four hour sale.

Today I helped my sister Michelle move and as I type this Annette is at the hospital with Willie and Lisa (her siblings) since her dad was hospitalized today. His blood sugar went too low so they are stablilizing and testing him right now.

Long Time, No Post

Summer is almost over and I'm all too glad. The kids would beg to differ but summer kills me. Far from being a break, everything goes into overdrive for me. Work is still work, and even a little more busy than usual. There seems no end to camps and activities the kids are involved in and they keep me wondering every day when I wake up where I'm supposed to be after work. And then there is the yardwork. I thought having a two acre backyard might be fun but it's actually a pain. Mowing the whole yard takes about 4 hours and weedwhacking it takes some work too. Then the garden needs maintenance and our woods need thinning, and on and on it goes. And with that comes maintenance on all those engines that keep the yard clean, like the riding mower, the weedwhacker, a chainsaw, the tiller, and the next thing you know all I do is use the tools and fix them when they break down!

I'm anxiously counting down the days until the first frost. "Let the grass die" I say. Plus it signals the near arrival of hunting season. The kids will be back at school on Thursday, August 20. Michael is going into 8th grade, making this his last year before high school. He's also getting contacts so his look is about to change. Abbey is headed into 6th grade, and Mae is going into 3rd grade.

Let it snow.

In Remembrance of Larry, 1954-2009

When I was in my early to mid-teens, back around the mid 1980s, I met a man named Larry Muenks (pronounced min-icks). Larry was a co-worker at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) and friend of my uncle Randy. Randy and Larry developed a friendship inside and outside of work and because I often tagged along with Randy I was able to get to know Larry in the process.

Larry owned a farm in Montgomery County, Missouri and was in the process of building a house and improving his property. He lived on the farm and drove to St. Louis every day for work. I loved going to Larry’s because he exposed me to a side of life I rarely ever saw – farm life. From about 1987 through 1995 I was very close with Larry and once I had my driver’s license I went out to his farm all the time at his invitation. Often time I would arrive at his place on Friday night after work and not leave for home until Sunday night.

Larry was a father-figure to me during those years. He really took me under his wing and taught me a lot. I killed my first four deer on his farm and I picked up numerous hunting tips from him. We baled and hauled hay together during the summer. He taught me how to drive both his large and small tractors. He owned nearly every tool imaginable and even had a hydraulic vehicle lift in his barn so you could pull a vehicle right into his barn over the lift, extend the arms underneath and raise it up, as if in a mechanic’s garage. He did so much work on my ’65 Chevy Bel-Air and especially my ’79 Chevy pickup I can’t even begin to calculate the total worth of all his services. We did U-joints, brakes, ball joints, valve cover replacements, transmission swaps, repacked wheel bearings, and on and on it went. When I tried to pay him for tangible things he provided, he refused to cash the check. I looked up to Larry in many ways. He suggested I build my own Craftsman tool set (which I did) and co-signed a loan with me back in 1992 for the sole purpose of establishing credit. I can’t think of a single non-family member who would have done that for me.

A photo I took of Larry and his wife Pam on October 26, 1991, just hours before their son Bryan was born. I was at Larry's for the weekend when this unexpected delivery occured. I went to the hospital with them and watched the 1991 World Series in the waiting room while Larry was with Pam giving birth, then he and I went out and had a steak dinner.

Around the time I got married Larry and I began to drift and our friendship never was the same after that. But the impact he made on my life is no less significant to me despite our drift. Around that same time Larry developed diabetes and experienced a significant weight loss – he no longer looked the same. In time, his health continuously worsened. Eventually he developed cancer which spread throughout his body. One of his kidneys was removed last summer, leaving him with only one. A few weeks ago, the doctors told the family there was nothing more they could do because the cancer was so widespread. They ceased dialysis and chemotherapy and the realization came that Larry’s life was nearly over. Fortunately I had the opportunity to see Larry twice more before he passed away. Then, about a week after I learned that chemo and dialysis had stopped, he breathed his last breath at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 while I was at work.

Reflecting on Larry and thinking about his impact on my life has reminded me more than ever that we need to be aware of the impact we can have on young people. In this life Larry had no idea how much his influence and mentorship meant to me, especially during the ages of 17-21. We often go through life thinking much of what we’re doing isn’t all that significant, but time tells a truer story.

Larry was not a Christian during his life but his diseases and the knowledge he had about the end of his life coming so quickly humbled Larry, a normally proud man. I think it showed him that no matter how strong we think we are, we are but dust. He recognized his weakness and began to feel remorseful for wrongs in his life. He knew he needed Jesus and wanted him in his life. I had the opportunity to speak briefly with him about that, as did others. I believe there is more evidence than not to suggest he is with the Lord right now. The deathbed conversion, while not ideal, is still valid, biblically demonstrated when Jesus saved the thief on the cross next to him. Without baptism and without good works to his credit, the thief acknowledged his sinfulness (Luke 23:41) and appealed to Jesus (Luke 23:42). Jesus’ answer was clear: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43. What more could a person want than to be with Jesus Christ for eternity! That is the very definition of heaven, and the thief attained it. I think there are always those who claim to be Christians that almost feel slighted at such a thought, that their “lifetime of service” should grant them a better fate than the deathbed convert. To deal with that issue, I recommend repentance from the sin of pride and to study the parable of the workers paid equally found in Matthew 20:1-16.

A photo of me with Larry on July 3, just five days prior to Larry's death.

Only God knows for sure now if Larry is with him. I can’t judge the precise mental capacity Larry had in his final days, but I do know this: someone who had a substantial impact on my life is now gone, and I will miss him.

The Fourth of July

It's already July, before the kids realize it they will be getting school supplies and preparing to head back to the classroom. The Fourth of July holiday was good - we went and saw Union's fireworks on the third. We ended up sitting in a friend's front yard right by Union Middle School which put us in good view to see everything being launched from the ballfields beyond it. On the fourth we watched a private residence put on a fireworks display that rivaled and possibly surpassed the city display. (That's not to slight the city display but to commend the private display).

Today was the last swim meet for Michael, Abbey, and Mae. All the kids made good progress this year but Michael made the most; largely because this was his first year. After he got out of the pool after his first race at his first swim meet, I thought he might pass out. Tonight he swam strongly and I could see a tremendous improvement in him over the last month.

And earlier today, about 1 p.m., Annette dropped Abbey off at camp for the week. The Franklin County Baptist Association has a facility they use at Spring Bluff. They have cabins for the kids to sleep in, an outdoor swimming pool, a chapel, a large eating area, fields for games and activities, and a large lake for canoeing or other water activities. They also have an outdoor chapel area where the kids go in the mornings for quiet time activities. It's a wonderful camp and the kids look forward to it every year.

Speaking of that, Vacation Bible School is coming up in three weeks and I'm teaching third and fourth graders so tonight I started unpacking all my materials to get familiar with this year's content. My niece, Natalie, came to our house last year and spent the week, going to VBS with the kids. She may come back this year and do the same.

Memorial Bench for Gran

Back on June 4 Annette and I celebrated our anniversary together and on that day we stopped by Mastodon State Park, where we were married. We spent some time talking to the woman in charge about the possibility of having a memorial bench installed for Gran, similar to Pappy's. She was very fond of the idea and looked up pricing with us. We also walked the grounds looking for a suitable location.

I heard from her with an exact price and the grand total will come to around $800. If you are able to make a contribution in any amount we should reach the $800 without problem. Gran has enough family members that eight donors of $100 each would get us there. If more people wanted to contribute the amount could be less.

Please let Annette know. She and I have had the discussions with the Park administrator up to this point but would like to get the whole family involved now for fundraising and determining what to put on here plaque.

Photos from Jamestown

Jamestown, Virginia was the first permanent settlement of the English in what is now the United States. On May 13, 1607, 104 men and boys landed on the banks of the James River in three ships and though most of them would die within a short period of time, the colony wouldn't. Here are a few pictures from our day at Jamestown.

This photo is of a monument placed by the federal government in 1907, the 300th anniversary of the settlement.

The National Park Service has a Junior Ranger program where kids can complete a series of tasks in a workbook and earn a certificate and a Junior Ranger patch. Here the kids search for answers to their booklet questions.

Here the kids hold up the patches they earned at Jamestown. They also earned them at Yorktown later that afternoon. (They also got them from Yellowstone five years ago, and you can also earn one at the Arch and Grant's Farm!)

Statue of Pocahontas at Jamestown. She married John Rolfe, moved to England and adopted English customs, dressing as a British woman. She is buried in England.

Annette and I standing on the banks of the James River, exactly where archaeologists have uncovered their original fort. Notice Annette's hair which is blowing sideways. It was extremely windy. The river is very wide at this location because it is so close to the Chesapeake Bay. One of the reasons the colonists chose this spot is because the river was deep enough for them to anchor their ships.

Return from Williamsburg

Posts have been sparse lately due to all the activity June brings. We just spent a week in Eastern Virginia visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Washington DC. Pictures are on the way.

Whether you are a fan of American history or not, let me just give a ringing endorsement to Colonial Williamsburg. For a modest admission price you can literally step back in time over 200 years and walk the streets of Williamsburg in the 1770s. As we walked around, we spotted Redcoats from time to time. One morning several rode in on horses, including the traitor himself, Benedict Arnold. He addressed all of us on horseback and defended King George, then presented the British flag to be flown over the capitol building. Of course one of the colonial women standing right next to us saw that hideous flag and called it a "horse blanket." Later General Washington rode in and on our last afternoon Michael and I were able to March with the Continental Army as we prepared to head to Yorktown for battle.

You can stop at the shops in town which are 1770s era where they still produce things the way they did back then. For example, we went to a brickyard where they actually make bricks like they did over 200 years ago. And a shoemaker. And a seamstress. And we saw a printing press and book binding.

Jamestown and Yorktown were great, but our DC visit was awesome as we toured the monuments at night. We have never been there at night and it was beautiful. Fortunately for us the weather was cool all week so we were able to walk a lot in relative comfort.

Pictures are still being organized and bags are still being unpacked, but more to follow later.