LDKBox

I know I had made a wish for a Happy New Year in my previous post but today is the first day of the year that we get to live that wish.  I am excited!!  I know…why is he in such a good mood?  Oh, I don’t know… maybe it is because I am lucky?   or maybe it is because I have been blessed?  or maybe … this is the way it is supposed to be?  You know what?  I think it is all three and I will tell you why through the course of this post.

Lucky…?  Ya, I would think so.  I lived through a farm accident involving a PTO, tractor, and loose clothing.  I lived through a traffic accident in which everyone went to the hospital by ambulance and I walked away unscathed.  There are to many construction accident stories to recount so I won’t even go into those but you get the idea.  I think these all had a commonality besides me being in them.  I think angels would be the common denominator.   Angels come in different forms.  My little brother Karl, was my angel the day of the farm accident.  What would prompt a little boy to shut off the PTO at exactly the right time to save his little brother?  I say an angel did.  I say an angel was with me when I was held upright while all around me was turning, toppling, or smashed in the traffic accident.  I say an angel was with me each day of my work keeping me safe as I go through the daily grind.  Oh sure…everyone tries to be safe.  No one tries to cause an accident.  There were those times when you have to wonder…. hmmm… that could have been me.  Yep, it has to be angels.

Blessed…?  Ya I would think so.  I am still here am I not?  Without regard to the aforementioned accidents there are other things to give thanks for as well.  First I was blessed to have been born to a loving family on a farm in Iowa.  another lucky?  Possibly, but this is more than lucky.  This is a blessed event that I will give thanks to God for the rest of my life.  I was given a life to learn and grow in a safe and loving environment.  I was shown how men act.  I was shown how friends are treated.  I was also shown how friends were made.  Ya I am lucky but I am blessed as well.

Yesterday,  I met with the Rockhill’s,  now from Virginia,  who were married almost 39 years ago in Kansas with me and several other high school friends in attendance.  Rex, my former classmate, and his wife, Pam,  came to town to visit with me and my wife.  We talked, laughed, and hugged.  Although we have never met in person since the wedding day I felt no change in the intensity of the friendship that once was.  Here was a friend who had reached out to say hello.  It was warm, refreshing, and the way it is supposed to be.

So yes,  I am lucky!  I have to many lucky stories to NOT know that I am.  Yes, I am blessed as well.  I thank God for that very thing each day!  But the way it is supposed to be,  is something that I am most appreciative of on this date.  It is another sign of what normal is becoming for me.  It is not the old normal.   That will never be again.  I am living a new normal. Meeting a friend of 40 plus years and having coffee with them for the soul purpose of saying hello, wishing each other well and being happy is a new normal that I relish.  This is the way it is supposed to be is it not?

Comments (0) Jan 01 2010

Well, we made it another year.  We fooled them all and I am not going to tell anyone.  I have a habit of scanning the pages of several newspapers that I receive on line as I set at the computer at our kitchen table.  It is my early morning ritual to garner information on my already formed opinion that somehow lean the way that I think,  rather than people I know that use the same sources to help make them come to an informed opinion by reading opposing views.  In other words at this point I know what I know.  (sounds a little like Popeye does it not?)  Admittedly,  one must take on new ideas to be fair but as I fought with my Father’s ideas when I was young I still am my Father’s son I must say that having been there I know what does and doesn’t work even if I didn’t do it correct the first, second, or even third time.  All that says is that I am stubborn…kinda…sorta….maybe a little bit…?  Can anyone spell denial?  LOL!!

So in the process of getting news sources I do happen upon the informative side of the Internet.  That would be my horoscope.  I never have been one to have any faith what so ever in astrology but I must admit that I read them all the time and laugh.  I would say to myself. “This stuff is so general in its meaning that it could apply to anyone.”  Then I would read it.  Think about it.  Then cast it off with a whim.  I gotta say that this little snippet of astrological information must be right!  This is no generalization of information but hits the nail right on the head.  This was written for me.

quoted text from an astrological reading found on the web while surfing the Internet today.

Your renowned intellect has been strained the last couple of years, as it’s been forced to find solutions to the many issues you’ve been dealt. In 2010, you’ll finally be gaining some traction on your biggest challenges, and solutions will flow to you with ease.

So armed with this knowledge from such a reputable source(the Internet) I submit to my readers this wish for a Happy New Year and rest my case.  It must be right.  It was on the internet.?!

Comments (0) Dec 31 2009

This weekend my son, Kellen and I participated in a Cub Scouts function at Arrowhead Lake just 20 minutes from Harker Heights.  I had mentioned to my wife that I would not let Kellen down and be prepared for the outing.  I am happy to say that we attended and had a wonderful time.  It is our third year in Scouting and Kellen is learning things that I know will help him today as well as into the future.  In three years I have been very pleased with the growth that Kellen has shown in attitude and interest. 

It was a typical function with many dens gathering up to spend a little time outdoors but the full intent seems to be to let the kids have  fun all under the guise of learning how to orientate in the woods.  The boys spent a lot of time sitting around whittling on sticks.  All trying to produce that elusive perfect stick to place marshmallows on for Smore’s.  I was surprised at the attention span that the kids had.  You would think that seven young Cub Scouts with knives would be sort of dangerous.  Each Cub Scout knew, that with a knife in hand,  everyone needs to be on their best behaviour.  After questioning Kellen so often as to why he is not listening to me I was glad to see that Kellen is listening most attentively to the Pack leaders.  He made me proud many times during the outing.  His, “Yes, sir,” and “No ma’am,” responses to each pack leader during the day kept me happy.

Since the boy’s were constantly kept busy with one activity after the other it was not surprising that Kellen requested that we hit our bunks around nine o’clock in the evening.  Although I was not particularly sleepy I was glad to see that Kellen was tired.  In events like this if the child is wanting to go to sleep it is a sure sign that he wants to get a good nights sleep to be able to do it again in the morning.  Which we did.

It was dark, wet, and rather cool on the outside of the tent but inside we were two toastie tenderfoots resting within the confines of the tent.  Kellen laying on an air pad and his Father laying on an even bigger air mattress.  I was somewhat embarrassed with the use of the air mattress until I saw a neighbor pull out a full size Queen air bed which both he an his wife were to sleep on.  I am a big fan of being comfortable but a full size queen airbed is a bit much for this old duffer.  My wife has a cot that she uses made with canvas and a sturdy aluminum frame.  When I had a pickup to haul things around it did not matter what one carried with them to the camp.  Now that those days are gone it makes a difference to me what I carry since the HHR made by GM Chevrolet truck division has a lot of fun inisde the cabin of the truck but it does not have a lot of storage space so Kellen and I have to be picky about what we take to camp.  Although as long as he is warm I am sure that it really does not matter to my young tenderfoot Bear Cub Scout. 

To be honest the best thing about the weekend campout for this old duffer was when my son woke up in his sleeping bag feeling a little cold.  I had heard him sit up in bed so I pulled my bedroll from over my head and opened up my sleeping bag.  Nothing else needed to be said.  Kellen scurried over to my bedroll and curled up under my arm and blanket.  There were no more heating problems for Kellen and we both slept several more hours very comfortable and warm.  I treasure the complete trust that Kellen displayed to his Father.  Every parent knows of what I speak.  Some things cannot be described credibly.  The one thing sure is that I want more of those experiences in my life and know that they will come less and less as Kellen grows older.  Hopefully, even as they become less and less he will remember them as fondly as this “old goat.”

Comments (0) Oct 12 2009