LDKBox

I have this friend….

That I talk to about the everyday things of life.   I have this friend….That smiles at every traffic light…  I have this friend…that makes the best chicken dumplings.  I have this friend…that makes something out of nothing.  I have this friend… that has encouraged me through the years.  I have this friend… that helped me fight my fears.  I have this friend…who has two green thumbs.  I have this friend… who rumbles when he runs.  I have this friend that is good.  I have this friend…that thinks trouble is just fun.  I have this friend… 

and the story continues… to all of you.  The readers…My friends.

 Since I am a thought based blog rather than a topic based blog I tend to think as I write.  This morning is no different than any other.  My idea came to me after trying to continue my makeshift poem written above.  It was written with the thought all my friends have one thing in common.  They all, whether willing or unwilling, provide something to my life that makes it better.  I do not see these people everyday because of life’s design.  We all are traveling our paths and have managed to intersect for a period of time.  One of the things that reminds me of my Mother is the saying, “This too shall pass.”  Well,  we may have passed but that does not mean that they are forgotten.

When pouring a cup of coffee this a.m. I thought of a friend, Warren,  that I was chumming around with in Fairbanks during the  pipeline  construction boom of the 70′s.  It is not cold outside but not really comfortable to just sit around either.  As it happens we are broke.  Don’t have a home.  Sleeping out of a car near a railroad crossing.  Out of town and away from meddling city policeman.  So we decided to stop in at a cafe to warm up.  We sat at the counter and awaited the waitress to bring us a glass of water.  She didn’t.  Instead she asked, “Why so forlorn boy’s?”  My friend did not know how to answer.  I am sure he was thinking…what does forlorn mean?  I told her strait up that we were interested in warming up inside the restaurant.  She nodded and returned with a cup of coffee for the two of us.  She must have realized that we were broke when she saw us counting coins that lay on the counter in front of us to come up with the money for the coffee.  A few minutes later eggs and bacon arrived on plates set before us.  My friend and I protested…”But we did not order this!”  She said. I know.”  As she lay the plates in front of us.  “You are hungry…right???  Your breakfast is on me.”   A prouder man may have declined.  My friend and I are not of that ilk.  We ate a very good breakfast, warmed up, and enjoyed the moment. 

Soon after being served breakfast the cafe became inundated with the  new patrons because the city’s local bars had closed.  We stayed for a while.  But it finally came time to go.  We did go back and have a few meals at that resturaunt over the rest of the summer but unfortunately we never became friendly with this gal.   I am sure that this woman had done this kind of thing many times over in her life.  At least I hope so! 

You see… I would not want someone to miss the experience of a random act of kindness from a stranger.  These acts make that stranger a friend.   At the time of the free meal in the cafe on 1st Avenue in Fairbanks during the pipeline boom of the 70′s,  I do not think I saw the value in the same light as I do today.  All I know is… I have often experienced random acts of kindness.  I have tried to continue that experience with others I meet.   I am lucky to be here remembering.  I am lucky to have friends and the random acts of kindness that came from them.

Comments (0) Aug 18 2009

In my effort to become more centered on the blog posts I have set up a time in my busy sedentary life dedicated to thinking about the blog.  That time, in essence, is any time that I am not catering to the whims of my family.    Ok, quit laughing!  It really does take a lot of time  keeping a 8 year old full.  I find that he gets hungry every two hours.  It does not matter if he eats a buffet style breakfast or has an apple.  Two hours after eating anything ,  he has burned up all the fuel in his tank.  In the last month we have eaten the best of the best.  From fine home cooking , to fast food over load, to lean European cuisine on the high seas.  I could set my watch to the needs of my son’s food habit.

I have to give my son a little credit.   Here in Texas he does not live as I did on the farm in Iowa.  Food served at the house of Leota was warm, regular, and plentiful.  Add to that list …Good as well.  I think that I can say that the food that I produce is warm(thank goodness for microwaves) regular(hey I am here 24/7 ) and plentiful(I have receipts from the grocery store) but there won’t be any comments on how good it is.  Hey,  three out of four ain’t bad!!!  But don’t ask Kellen.  He is jaded now that he has experience the good life as well as my wife’s cooking.

I try to keep the staples in the fridge.  Lot’s of eggs, milk, and butter.  Bags and bags of apples.  Green is preferred by the Little Detailer and Red is preferred by my wife, Ellen.  Bananas once in a while.  The same for strawberries, blueberries, and cherries.  We always seem to have some oranges, grapefruit, and grapes.  Both red and green grapes.  Seedless is preferred by all.  Then there is bread.  Wheat for me.  White for the kids.(yes they ask for white.  I don’t understand it either) and a low cal bread for my wife.  All the while I know that there are supplies of canned fruits and vegetables in the pantry.  I also know that there are frozen assortments of fast food, complete meals, vegetables and meat in our freezer.  All of these supplies are supplanted by my many trips to the store to obtain the ingredient of the day that I have not mentioned previously.

I know the cupboards are full.  So is the freezer.  I even go and get fresh items from the store.  Why is it then that everything I cook ends up to be skillet surprise?  I always start out with the best intentions.  Gourmet this…Gourmet that.  Hey,  it is a skillet dinner.  It is hot,  fresh,  and regular.  Why is it then that my son.  Who I cater to,  for each and every whim,  prefers the cooking of his Mother.  Who bakes, fry’s, and creates food that not only tastes good but looks good as well.  Go figure.

Believe it or not it has been two hours since I started this blog post.  Guess how I know?  Yes,  he is hungry again.  I believe that I will try some imported noodles( Top Ramen) and some fine domesticated meat(hot dogs) and some fresh steamed vegetables(microwaved in a bag).    I bet he eats it.  Ha! Ha!  Ellen is not home.  I don’t think he can make it four hours without his fuel tank topped off.

Comments (0) Jul 31 2009

Since the 28thof June LD and I have been almost constantly on the go with  travel and socialization of old friends, new friends, and family.  I have to admit it has been a whirlwind month  for myself as well.  A normal trip to Iowa would mean 16 hours of hard driving and arrival at the farm in Iowa.  This last trip to Iowa was a lot different since LD was with me for every moment.  That meant that the trip was certainly less driver intensive but no less intense since LD was wanting for more of each passing day.  I do not know how many times the Little Detailer simply fell asleep as he was talking about what he want ed to do the next morning.  It was so good to view and experience the fast life of vacationing  with my son. 

It was less than 30 days ago that LD failed his first swimming lesson test.  He was so afraid to swim in the deep end of the pool where he tested.  He wanted me by the side of the pool while the instructor put him through his paces.  Of course I was along side the pool but that did not help the Little Detailerout in the end(much to my chagrin!).  Fear is a good tool and it is a bad tool.  In this case it was a life tool that managed to let my son become a little guppy and social lite of the poolside season.  Each day of our vacation LD would go through a little of the learning experience needed to over come his fear of the water.  Each day he became a little more confident.  Each day I saw him grow.  Wow!  What a powerful experience.  His confidence in the water is second only to his ability to socialize.   He loved all the cousins that he met in Iowa and they taught him how to do things that his Father was not able to do.  Peer education was a good thing and as a Father I am well aware that I can only take LD to the well.  I cannot make him drink.   His cousins taught him to be strong in order to keep up with all the children that were at the house of my brother in Iowa.

The Iowa trip was also good training for his first cruise of his young life.  I hope that he remembers this trip much in the same fashion as I remember the trips of my life.  Although I did not ever go on a cruise with family there were many trips to different areas of the country to visit with family.  Kellen did not have any fears going into the first day of the cruise.  I think in part because of the inter-action of the cousin’s children on the farm in Iowa prior to getting on the ship.   The ship is relatively small in size but the world certainly was LD’s oyster for he woke up as his feet firmly planted on the floor while scurrying  around like a cartoon character to get his swim trunks on each day to go to the pool and the warm jacuzzi of the Lido deck.( Don’t worry folks…the water in the jacuzzi was not hot)

On the last day of  LD’s month of vacation we were in a motel on the beach in Galveston with a pool.  LD wanted to go swimming.  It is amazing what a month of swimming will do for an 8 year old boy.  This is the same boy that required his Father to be poolside when he took his first swim test.  Now LD can touch the bottom of the pool with his hands as well as his feet.  This is the same little person that swallowed water and coughed when he went under water.  Henow can swim across a pool most of the way under water.  He is the same little boy that said he could not float and would sink into his Father’s arms when he became frightened.  Now he turns over on his back and plays  much like a little sea otter. 

It is the end of a whirlwind summer vacation for LD.  In the last month there are so many first for my son.  Most if not all the first were witnessed by his father.  To experience the growth of my son in the past month is only surpassed by the actual birthof my son.  It goes without saying that I most likely am the proudest Father that has ever been…and that was before all of LD’s firsts.  Having witnessed all of these first hand with my son just makes the experience all the sweeter.  The last month I witnessed a guppy grow into a tadpole.  In  a few years this tadpole will grow into an adult.  I hope that I am there every step of the way.  I also hope that my son continues to uses me as his safe haven in life as well as the pool.

Comments (0) Jul 27 2009