March 20 – “First”

The drought is finally broken.  I actually managed to go fishing the other day.  First fishing trip of the year.  Chris was just beginning to feel poorly, and her way of handling sickness entails curling up in bed and being left alone.  The exact opposite of me, by the way.  I greatly prefer someone I love to fawn all over me and treat me like the poor little sick kid that I am.  Hey, what can I say?  That’s how my Mommy used to do it.  I did get Chris’ permission to leave her alone for a few hours, though.  I haven’t completely lost my mind.

I made a quick stop at my usual wading spot in front of WalMart.  It wasn’t too rough, but the wind was just starting to pick up, and there was a bit of a chill in the air.  I was afraid the combination of cool wind and 50 degree water would be the end of me.  When I texted Chris to let her know I was heading on to Jamaica Beach to fish the canal, she responded, “Thank you!!  Not interested in treating you for hypothermia!”  The exclamation marks are hers, by the way.  She must have been serious.  I pointed out that blue skin should match up well with my gray hair, but she didn’t sound so impressed.  Oh, and by the way, I saw in the paper this morning that the water temperature was “officially” all the way up to 64 on Tuesday.  Keep on climbing.  We have a baptism in the Gulf on Easter Sunday.

I set up shop in the little fishing park Jamaica Beach has designated.  Not many people use it, and there are no amenities other than a bench or two and some pilings sticking up that one can sit upon or tie a stringer to.  But it is on the main canal, and it is not all that far from the actual entrance to the bay.  That makes it a pretty good site for specks and redfish.  Of course, like all canals, it is also a prime hangout for hardhead catfish, but I was hoping it was too early in the season for too many of them to be hanging around.  Fortunately that hope proved true, as I never saw even one of those pests.  There were plenty of pests in the water, though.  I ended up going through an entire quart of live shrimp over the course of the few hours I was there. 

The catch was a pretty good one, by canal standards.  Started out with two redfish back to back.  Both were too small to keep, though.  And I lost one too-small speck right at the bank as well.  The few other fishermen were walking the bank casting artificial lures.  They all lived right across the street, so this was old hat to them.  I heard stories about the ones that got away, but none of them ever even got a bite.  Guess the fish were particular to my shrimp.  Even had one of the Jamaica Beach police officers stop by to see how I was doing.  Great to have connections to a small community like that.  I ended up the day with a total of five redfish, all too small to keep, one black drum that was too small to mess with, and three very nice speckled trout … just right.  A fine start to our next family fish fry.  As Chris said, “Zakary will be excited.” 

Deuteronomy 32:39 says, “See now that I myself am He!  There is no god besides me.  I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.”

Father, thank you for the aquatic part of your incredible creation.  And please bring Chris to healing quickly.  Amen.

March 19 – “Speaking of St. Patrick’s day …”

Speaking of St. Patrick’s Day, I spent some time talking with my fashion consultant the other day.  Now I grew up with the knowledge that you always wear green on that day or else whoever caught you could pinch you.  And if you actually did have green on, they had to let you pinch them back.  You know, basic holiday policies and procedures.  Well, after Cailyn caught me with no green on, I received a lecture on the basics of St. Patrick’s Day décor.  She informed me that there are certain things that just don’t count toward the famous pinch if you’re not wearing green thing.  Underwear apparently counts.  But you have to be willing to verify.  Wearing plants, however, just does not cut it.  I even tried saying that I had green teeth from not brushing.  She didn’t believe me for one thing.  She has been here when I tune up my miniature lawn mower motor that operates my toothbrush.  But that was one of those intangibles that just doesn’t fit the mold of the day.  After several other attempts to get by such stringent rules, I succumbed to the pinch and we returned to watching TV.  Not long after that, a commercial came on that got my attention.  Another possible option.  It was a bad breath commercial, and the breath was portrayed as a thick, green fog emanating from the unfortunate person’s mouth.  I took a deep breath and turned toward Cailyn to make my case with this new evidence.  But she was a step ahead of me.  With arms crossed and a stern look on her face she was already staring in my direction.  Before I could even speak, she declared, “And that green doesn’t count either.”  Ouch.  All my best ideas shot down.  Oh well, back to the green drawing board, I guess.

I also learned some things about the real St. Patrick.  Well, wait a minute.  I didn’t really verify my sources all that well, but it was on the internet, and they don’t let anything on the internet that isn’t true, right?  It seems St. Patrick developed a system of missionary work that was absolutely the best ever.  Although born in Briton, he had been a captive slave of one of the tribes in Ireland for years, so he knew the people and their language.  He eventually escaped, rediscovered his family’s Christian religion, and many years later returned to do missionary work.  But his plan was ingenious.  He always worked in a group of about 12.  They would settle in near one of the tribes and get to know the people.  Slowly, as they were accepted into the local culture, they would then start to share about Jesus.  When enough converts were trained to support a church, he would leave a few from the missionary team there, replace them in the group of twelve with some of the native Christians, and move on to the next settlement to do the same thing.  He always had a full, trained team, and the churches he established always had strong leadership.  Smart man, that St. Patrick. 

Psalms 18:32 says, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”

Father, thank you for breakthroughs in understanding and respecting cultures while we seek to share what is most important to us – you.  Amen.

March 18 – “At the end of the day”

Chris left me alone pretty much all day yesterday.  Could have been dangerous, I know.  But she has always been one to take chances.  After all, she married me, right?  She drove to Victoria to have lunch with her two brothers and to go see her Dad in the nursing home there.  This would be the Dad who raised her, the one who adopted her when she was a baby.  He can’t live alone any more, but she said he seemed to be doing pretty well.  He recognized her and even introduced her around to the therapists.  I know the trip was probably stressful for Chris, so I’m glad it went well.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch … (where did that one come from?  Some old TV show, maybe? Anybody know?).  I stayed at my computer most of the time she was gone, working on the first of the three Bible studies I have to lead this week.  I think I’m pretty much ready for it, although I do have one more thing to complete this morning before I move on.  I almost forgot to eat lunch.  Chris texted about 1:00 to let me know she was heading to Dairy Queen with her brothers, and that reminded me to get something as well.  Glad we had some of the leftovers from dinner on the grounds Sunday.  Some kind of lasagna-type dish with sausage in it and a lot of cheese on top.  Good stuff, so kudos to whoever made it. 

Chris did get a phone call while she was away.  Cailyn was looking for her hang-out buddy to try to finagle a spring break overnight stay.  So of course that meant we entertained a special little guest last night.  And by “entertained” I mean it was beauty specialist night at the Vaughan’s.  And by “we” I mean “me.”  That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I received a glittery, albeit it abbreviated manicure and pedicure.  Actually she just put fingernail polish on my fingers and toes, but to her credit, most of it stayed on the nails.  That part was easy.  Not so sure about phase two, though.  Now I’m not saying I didn’t need the beauty treatment.  But makeup?  On my face?  I dint think I have had that much attention makeup-wise since I played Tigger in our high school drama.  At one point she asked my choice of colors: brown, gray, green, or light brown.  I told her I had the whole gray thing pretty much down pat.  I went for green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  I did look at it before washing it off.  Honestly I couldn’t really tell that there was that much on there.  Guess that’s a testament to the skill of the applier, right?  Sure did dirty up the washcloth, though.  So much for subtle foundation work.  At the end of the day, I’m back to my wrinkled, gray, leathery self again.  Sigh.  Maybe I should look into dyeing my hair and beard.  Red, maybe?

Psalms 4:7-8 says, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.  I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Father, thank you for making me who I am, gray hair, wrinkles and all.  And more importantly, thank you for loving me anyway.  Amen.

March 17 – “Lost in the work”

Yesterday was one of those “get lost in the work” kind of days for me.  We did start it out by taking a walk around the neighborhood, though.  We have worked up to about two miles.  It’s not the same as walking around WalMart together, grocery shopping and talking and people watching, although we did see one of our fire fighter neighbors.  Jon was out being walked by his dog.  She did stop to greet us, though. 

As far as the computer work is concerned, it soon became evident that it would be my day to prepare for the angels.  That’s the next topic coming up in our Thursday night Bible study at the house.  What started out as a research search to find out the different names of archangels mentioned in literature outside of the Bible soon became a more generalized open discovery time on the subject.  It’s what usually happens to me when I start out on a research binge.  One rabbit trail will lead to another and before I know it I have jumped topics entirely.  It’s a really fun way to approach what could otherwise be a boring process.  At least this time I stuck to angels.  We’ll see what kind of study actually comes out of this research experience, though.  I still have three days to pull it all together.  Of course I also still have to put together the Bible study for Sunday morning before church as well as the teaching for the worship service.  Looks like it will be another long day at the desk.  Hmm.  Maybe that’s why that article in the paper sounded so interesting.  Something along the lines of proper posture when you sit at a desk all day.  I can hear it now.  Chris’ little voice ringing forth in my good ear, “I told you so …”

Mark 12:33 says, “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Father, help me stay focused in preparation for these studies.  And maybe open up a rabbit trail or two just for fun.  Amen.

March 16 – “When Momma’s happy …”

We decided to do a “quick drive-by just to look at” Nathan and April’s front yard yesterday afternoon.  We weren’t even going to stop.  They had been working on their landscaping, and Nathan even went so far as to buy one of those chain saws that attach to the end of a long pole.  The kind you use to trim really big trees like the three big oaks in their yard.  You just can’t beat a new power tool, right?  I was sure the yard looked fine.  I was just hoping for a glimpse of the new power tool on the block. 

Well, the drive-by plan went out the window when we saw that they were still hard at work.  There was a pile of tree branches barricading the front of their house as if they expected to have to ward off an attack any moment.  The chain saw was resting off to the side, its work long sing accomplished.  Sigh.  Missed it.  But they still have two more trees to attack in their back yard.  Maybe next time.  Nathan told me his next door neighbor was especially happy about the tree trimming project, though.  Apparently it had been slowly encroaching upon his roof’s personal space for some time. 

Meanwhile, Nathan and April had moved on to outlining their flower beds with some of those concrete blocks.  The kind that weigh a ton.  Each.  And the flower beds themselves had been lined with plastic bags and covered with some of that red mulch.  That was still a work in progress, though.  Evidence of that was in the bed of the truck.  About ten more bags of the stuff waiting to make their debut.  Once the outline was complete, Nathan managed to catch up with April.  She had already moved on to placement of the bushes they had purchased.  No idea what they were called.  I do know April got the idea from Alice Whiteman’s front yard, though.  They sure look good there, so given enough time, I think they will be a prime asset. 

So where was Cailyn during all the work?  Well, she came bounding out from the house not long after we arrived.  Chris managed to get her briefly involved in sweeping the sidewalk.  It became a game, of course.  Nana was the boss and Cailyn had to follow orders.  Guess how long that arrangement lasted.  Before long the new straw boss had catapulted her way through the ranks.  Cailyn took over her new promotion with gusto.  I was enlisted to help with the heavy stuff.  You know … larger leaves and especially tough to extricate weeds here and there.  What can I say?  It’s tough being the go-to guy when it comes to the real manly jobs. 

All in all, it was kind of a fun afternoon outing.  For us, anyway.  Chris did manage to spend some inside time with Cailyn.  I understand she enjoyed a manicure while the rest of us were slaving away.  Well, while Nathan and April were slaving.  Someone had to assume the vacated role of straw boss.  But in the end April was pleased with the project.  And you know as well I do, when Momma’s happy …

Psalms 104:9 says, “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate - bringing forth food from the earth”

Father, thank you for the wonders of growing things and for the beauty that comes with placing them all together in just the right position.  Amen.

March 15 – “Quote line”

Since it’s Sunday and I have to get ready for church, oh, and we have to pick up Cailyn and Wes, here are just a few quick grandkid quotations from our weekend.

Let me start with Kel.  I know, he’s not a grandkid, but his quote leads into the others well.  We were outside watching his sweet little daughter play when he remarked, “Why do my kids all like to play outside?”  See, Kel is not much of an outside kind of guy. 

But then later on, I was outside preparing to fry the fish when Cailyn morosely trudged up to me with, “I want to play outside with my cousins, but they’re all stuck inside.”  Ah, yes.  Sadly, the presence of video games and parental approval for media time tends to do that.

Speaking of media time, here’s one from Micah: “Can I play on the phone?  Can I play on the iPad?  Can I play on the wii?”  I think he would have continued but that’s all the potential media he knew of at our house. 

And still on the media page, I got this taunt from the eldest, Jachin: “Come on, DadDad.  You can play this dogfight game.  It’s simple.  Trust me.”  Sorry, Jachin.  I learned a long time ago that when the oldest sibling says “trust me” that something is afoot that has designs on my total destruction. 

Josiah’s quote of the weekend is hard to write down.  “Ha Ha” just doesn’t seem to capture the essence of his belly laugh.  It takes him about an instant to be totally and completely engulfed in laughter from head to toe.  Love it. 

Noa is really beginning to talk a lot now.  Sometimes there are no discernable English-language words in what she says, but the expression and emotion are quite clear.  She definitely has the girl propensity for verbal skills.  Her favorite word now is “disgusting.”  Uses it appropriately, too.  My favorite of the weekend, though, came out when I was in my chair at my desk.  She crawled up in the nearby rocking chair, looked at me with captivating eyes, and asked, “Ock, Ock me, DadDad?”  Which I took to mean, “Rock with me, will you, oh grandfather, my love?”  And once she knew she had my attention, she looked up again at my painting of a praying man, folded her little hands and said, “’men, DadDad, ‘men.”  That’s right, Noa.  DadDad is praying and he says, “Thank you Jesus.  Amen.”

Caleb’s comment of the week I have already shared.  It was his reflection on exiting the Rainforest Café’s thrill ride, ”I can smell the terror.”

And I found out the Zak was the one to blame for the secret, somewhat threatening note on the door that read, “Do not go to get donuts without us.” 

Finally, the youngest.  Luke doesn’t say much.  He is great at captivating things like falling into your arms backwards, totally trusting you to catch him and engulf him in a big hug.  He did have one particular word that we heard more than twenty or thirty times.  See, he was fascinated by the dogs. And what better word to announce their presence or ask where they are than, “uff.”  Hey, Dennis the Menace would know right away that he was talking about a dog, right?  Or is that dating me?  Who is Dennis the Menace?  You didn’t know his dog’s name was Ruff?  OK.  I quit.  For the day, anyway.

Psalms 8:2 says, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”

Father, thank you for words of wisdom and amusement from the mouths of little children.  Sure do love these eight you have blessed us with.  Amen.

March 14 – “The cousins’ day”

Yesterday was a real Galveston tourist kind of day.  We actually went to the world-famous Strand.  And why in the world would we want to do that?  Oh, come on.  Have you never witnessed the wonder of watching the candy-maker at work at LaKing’s?  Or seen some teenagers working on their city-scape jumping skills?  Or perhaps do like Kel did … glamorize a tourist’s picture-taking by doing a photo bomb in a SpiderMan hoodie.  They even asked him to come back and pose. 

After a Papa John’s pizza lunch (gotta have pizza at some point on a cousin sleepover day), we headed on out to the Strand.  The hoped-for ride on the ferry was nixed when we woke up to another foggy, dreary day on the coast.  It wasn’t all that cold, at least, but it would have been miserable on the ferry, that’s for sure.  Besides, all these cousins have never seen the candy maker at work.  And who can turn down a whole store full of candy to choose from? 

When we arrived, however, we discovered that the next show was not for another hour.  So consolation candy bags in hand, we made our way over to the gigantic chess board.  Jachin and Zakary intended to play an actual game, but they soon discovered that they had way too much help.  All eight cousins decided that the big guys needed their help in setting up the board.  Whenever Noa or Luke moved a piece, the older guys (or maybe a Daddy here and there) would very patiently move it back to where it belonged.  It looked like so much fun that I decided to join in.  When Jachin wasn’t looking, I started moving pieces as well.  I don’t think he caught on to my antics right away, but it didn’t take him long.  The whole thing was quite entertaining for a young couple who thought they were just there to relax for a few minutes.  The floor show was a bonus.

Back to the candy store and the demonstration of making taffy.  Our guys pushed their way to the front and had a ring side seat.  Cailyn and Noa even staked a spot on the horse ride right by the rail.  The whole thing didn’t become real, though, until the candy maker started tossing samples to the crowd.  Free chocolate-flavored taffy and all you had to do was catch it.  Well, or pick it up after it bounced off some unsuspecting tourist’s head (and that happened more often that you would expect).  Then we went on back to the house, stepping in every puddle we could find along the way.  Oh wait.  I guess that was just me.  Guess I was jealous of the fun they all had the day before.

And waiting for us back at the house was none other than … a speckled trout fish fry.  Uncle Nathan and Aunt April threw in a few pounds of shrimp as well, so it was quite the feed.  Mix that with Nani’s cheesy potatoes and corn and green beans and Aunt Christina’s salad, and you have a full-blown feast.  Good stuff.  Almost depleted our store of fish, though.  Old DadDad is gonna have get to work on replenishing it real soon.

We finished off the evening with the cousins’ sleepover.  Sleeping bags on the floor, a movie on the TV (Indian in the Cupboard), and a few adults carefully hovering in the background.  The number of adults gradually diminished until only Nani was left waiting for the final holdout to give in and fall asleep.  I think that was Josiah, believe it or not.  The cousins’ sleepover finally officially ended this morning when the early risers, Micah and Zak joined me for a trip to the donut shop to pick up breakfast.  I couldn’t go without them after they left me a sticky-note command on the front door.  It read, “Do not go to get donuts without us.”  And so, a dozen plain glazed, three chocolate iced, three strawberry sprinkles, and three dozen donut holes later, they were ready to start the day.  How about you?

1 Chronicles 16:31 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Father, please keep these youngsters close as they grow up.  Help them learn the value of family.  Amen.