March 16 – “Incoming”

When we went fishing the other day, the slow nature of the actual “fishing” part of the trip led to some creative attempt to allay the boredom.  The most effective of those came when Josh launched the two kayaks into the water for their inaugural flight.  Each of the kids had a turn at paddling around the canal and getting in the way of fishing lines and potential casts.  Well, each of the kids except for Jachin.  He was in no way interested in the possibility of getting wet.  Not into cold that boy.  Nope.  Speaking of which, there was one other who refused entry into the teetering, flat canoe-like objects.  That would be the old man here.  Nope.  Kind of with Jaching on this one.  I’ll wait for the Easter sunrise service baptisms in the Gulf, thank you very much.

Now the last two to be on the water were Micah and Zakary.  And as we started to gather equipment for the ride home, Micah decided he needed a snack.  His Mom and Nani had indeed packed an assortment of goodies.  And being the wonderful brother that he is, Jachin rummaged through and found the perfect healthy yummy – an orange.  And why was it perfect?  Oh, calories and vitamins aside, this particular fruit was perfect for its aerodynamic properties.  Yup.  Jachin wound up and threw the orange to his brother … hard.  He barely missed, and the fruit cause quite the splash.  And quite the ruckus, for the battle was on.  Micah paddled over and gathered up the orange for his return throw, thought differently of that plan, and abruptly included Zak in the melee.  Jachin grabbed the snack bag and emptied it of the other weaponry, amidst cries of “Incoming” from the floaters.  And soon a battle royale had broken out.  The young ones pretty much stayed out of the line of fire, enjoying the unexpected spectacle … as did the older ones.  They soon wore out their pitching arms, though, and it was time to head home.  No fish, but a fun trip nevertheless.  So as they say … all’s well that ends well. 

Deuteronomy6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

Father, thank you for keeping those youngsters safe on those kayaks.  And thanks for the fun.  Always a plus.  Amen.

March 15 – “A Tale of Peace”

With a house full of cousins yesterday, we had to make a trip to the water.  Moms vetoed the beach though, so we grabbed some bait and headed to the Jamaica Beach canal for some fishing.  Little did we know at the time, however, that fishing would be the least of our exploits.

Oh, we did get some lines in the water.  And we did get plenty of bites.  Fed a lot of piggies and even lost a few that seemed to be bigguns.  We landed a few croaker and one rat red and Josh even reeled in a sting ray.  And in one of the most poignant scenes of the day, Josh took one of his small croakers and tossed it to a waiting sea bird … a Great Blue Heron, in fact.  Why is that such a monumental event?  Well, many years ago, when Josh was but a lad, we were fishing off the bulkhead behind Uncle Jerry’s house in Spanish Grant.  It was getting close to dusk.  All was calm.  Very relaxing.  All of a sudden we heard a rushing sound as of a great winged beast soaring through the air.  Puzzled, we searched the skies.  And suddenly, there it was.  A Great Blue Heron.  He was a regular evening visitor to the bulkhead, but this time something was different and he was confused.  He made for his usual perch on one of the pilings.  But alas.  This was no piling.  This was … young Josh.  The poor startled bird fully extended his wings in a frantic effort to stop his descent.  And that made him appear even more larger than life.  About that time a second sound split the skies.  It was the blood-curdling scream of the young boy, now certain that he was destined to become food for the gigantic creature’s young.  Dragon food, for that’s surely what this being was.  He dropped his pole.  He ran for the nearest object to place something between him and this horrifying raptor.  That nearest object?  Me.  He climbed and clawed his way, attaching himself to my body with a death grip, no doubt certain that the beast would have a difficult time dragging away both of us.  Sigh.  The poor beast was more frightened that Josh, however.  It skidded to a stop and as soon as air currents allowed, changed directions and soared away from there.  And since that time, among the Great Blue Heron population, the legend has grown about the narrow escape from the Piling that Came to Life.  Ah … horrifying tale that one. 

So, as you can now no doubt see, the simple offering of a tiny croaker to a solitary, hungry, great blue heron was in actuality an olive branch of peace between the mighty Living Pilings and the noble great blue herons.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, history was made in our presence.  Remember this day.

Psalms 94:19 says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Father, thank you for our interrupted fishing trip.  It was fun on so many levels.  Amen.

March 14 – “Dance fever? Oh, yeah”

Well … I’m pretty sure that I made the Spring Break experience totally worthwhile for some young teenagers the other day.  It started when we had to go to WalMart for some groceries.  We have some family coming in from out of town for a day or two.  Gotta get just the right food, you know.  Roast for the crock pot.  Zakary cinnamon rolls (a family thing).  Snacks.  Snacks.  Snacks.  Hey, ten grandkids can eat a lot, and who wants healthy?

So, when we returned to the car and unloaded our cart, I noticed some young whippersnappers in the car parked next to us.  I guess Mommy went shopping without them.  It is, after all, pretty embarrassing to be seen anywhere in public with Mom when you are in junior high/high school.  I can’t be absolutely certain, but I’m pretty sure when they saw us that they cranked up the music they were listening to by several thousand decibels.  I guess they thought they would freak out the old-timers. 

Not to be deterred, I oh-so slowly pushed our now-empty cart to its designated spot in the cart collection lane, looking the part of a decrepit old geezer.  Then, upon my return trip to our car, I broke out into a wild and crazy dance routine from my early 70’s days.  Did they see it?  Oh, yes.  They saw it all right.  I glanced over at them, flashed them a big grin, and saluted smartly.  They laughed uproariously at the old coot rocking out.  I danced on around and calmly took my seat.  Then as she slowly backed out of the parking space, Chris smiled sweetly at them and waved.  They exploded once again in laughter.  Glad we could brighten your day, young padawans. 

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Father, help those youngsters – and all the other thundering hordes - have a fun and safe Spring Break.  Amen.

March 13 – “The EDDW Attack”

Well, it might not seem like a big day, but for me it was a first, a real victory. 

We started off with our walk.  In the fog.  Yep, fog.  Again.  That has been the story of our Galveston winter this year.  Fog in the morning and evening and a little bit of rain scattered in between.  Even got down in the 40’s a time or two.  Horribly cold.  I almost got my snow jacket out for those days.  The fog yesterday was so thick that we had to stop three or four times to wipe off our glasses so we could see where we were going. 

Once back Chris headed straight to the back yard to resume yardworking.  Did some work at the computer, but I finally joined her.  She was struggling to get the last flowerbed back there cleaned out.  And it was the bed that is the home to … the dreaded Evil Demon Devil Weed.  That climbing, twisting, attaching, thorn-infested, no-flower-making, green invader of unsuspecting flowering plants and chain link fences.  And to make matters worse, in that particular bed, there is about a six-inch gap between the original chain link fence on our side and the wooden fence the neighbors put up back after Hurricane Ike.  The perfect breeding ground for the offensive, invasive interloper.  That would be my plan of attack.  I was determined that for the first time we would be rid of the Evil Demon Devil Weed.  I attacked my half of the flower bed with a vengeance.  Ripping and shredding as much as I could.  And then I took up the tool of the day – a pair of hedge trimmers.  And why, you may ask, were they so important?  Ah, because the thin blades were able to slip through the chain links and snip at the bottoms of the EDDW hiding in no-man’s land between the fences.  Snip after snip, rip after rip.  And finally the fence was clear.  Victory at last.  Well, at least until it grows back.  Sigh.  That stuff never actually dies.

Psalms 27:4 says, “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

Father, I do thank you for the beauty of your nature.  We could do with a little less of that weed, if possible.  But, hey, at least it gave us something we could do together.  Amen.

March 12 – “Spring’s sprung”

Well, that was certainly a Monday.  No, nothing bad happened.  It was just a full day again.  Just a typical Monday.  We got in our three mile walk (It’s the first time in several days the weather has cooperated), but the time change is really throwing our start time.  Chris refuses to concede that it can possibly be morning before the sun comes up, so we are starting a little later than usual.  That’s not completely a bad thing for me, though.  I still get up around 6 or 6:30, so I can get quite a bit done at the computer before breakfast. 

At some point during the day Chris asked me for some help in the back yard.  She has already done wonders back there.  Her latest project has been spray painting the wrought iron table and chairs.  They have begun to rust through … again.  We even had to make a quick WalMart run for some more paint to finish the job.  While there we also picked up another table umbrella (the one we had died).  Oh, and some wasp spray.  We saw a dreaded yellow jacket hanging around (I am really allergic to yellow jacket stings – like, emergency room trip allergic).  Spring has truly sprung around our house.  Well, at least in our back yard. 

Oh, and on a related side note, we went over to Nathan and April’s house and picked up a swing they didn’t want any more.  It’s one of those two-seaters with a canopy over the top.  Swings are kind of like rocking chairs to me.  Hard to turn one down.  Anyway, the swing fits in perfectly with our new no-hot-tub theme. 

Ah, but while we were outside, little did we realize that the sewer demons were wreaking havoc with our pipes again.  Last time it happened (about a month ago) our plumber said, “As much as I enjoy coming out to see you, the next time this happens, you need to call the city.  At the very least they need to install a clean out access port on their side of your yard.”  I took Jimmy’s advice.  And much to my surprise, a crew was here within an hour.  They wandered around the block looking for – get ready for it – “the city’s clean out access port.”  I told them there was none.  They argued a bit, and I finally decided to let them make the discovery on their own.  To assist them, I showed them where ours was.  I guess Jimmy was right.  They eventually dug a hole and made a new access port (I know there’s a technical name for that, but I can’t remember it).  They assured us we were good to go, so Chris resumed washing clothes.  No further problems … this time.

One other fun thing happened.  I got an email from my brother Jay.  He found an autographed baseball, and wondered if I knew who it might be.  Problem was, the signature was blurred and faded as well as being, well, a signature.  I tried to match it up with some of the guys I thought it might be, but none of them were anywhere close.  Guess it will have to remain a baseball mystery.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Father, thank you for Spring.  It is Chris’s all-time favorite time of year.  Amen.

March 11 – “Who was that Little Man”

Let me finish up with my Ezra anecdotes today.

He was a little bit demanding this trip.  One of his opening phrases to me was, “Gimme some food, DadDad.”  Cute, but not one I had to answer.  That was truly a “Go ask Nani” situation, if I’ve ever heard one. 

Another time he looked at me with one of those big-eyed looks and said, ever so sweetly, “I want some C-N-Y.”  Three guesses what that spells.  I found out later that with older siblings, all of whom can spell, this is what he hears.  And then they miraculously reappear into his line of vision with C-A-N-D-Y.  So he leaves out a few letters.  He’s just voice-texting me. 

And then there was the time he found a small flashlight I keep on my desk.  Very east to turn on and off.  He was walking around with it, testing its operational powers.  As he passed my desk, I asked, “Ezra, where did you get that?”

He thought for a long moment, then replied, “A little man gave it to me.”

OK, now he might have said the culprit was “a Lego man.”  Doesn’t change the impact of the story at all.

I followed up with, “Where is he?  Where is this Little Man?  I want to talk to him.”

His answer?  Quick this time.  He was all-in with this story now.  “At church.”

“So a little man at church gave that to you?”

He ducked his head just a bit, turned sideways, and almost whispered, “Yeah.” 

Then he took off running.  And over his shoulder he threw back at me, “And to Noa”

OK, Noa, now you are an unwilling accomplice.  Needless to say, she had no idea what I was talking about.  The Little/Lego Man shall forever remain a mystery.  But I did get my flashlight back.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Father, thank you for imaginations and the youngsters that inevitably go with them.  Amen.

March 10 – “Uh … Nope”

We hosted another “Vaughan-slaught” yesterday.  This one was the LCO – LaMarque Cousins Onslaught.  Dad was working (gotta get that mail delivered) and Mom went to the rodeo with her Dad.  And while they were here, who should call but cousins Luke and AnnaGrace from Waco.  Ezra heard me call AnnaGrace “Sugarmuffin,” so that became his word for the day.

But the big story was the firsthand account of Jachin’s first babysitting mishap.  Seems Mom went to the store to get some groceries.  Ezra was napping when she left, but then the worst possible scenario for a fifteen-year-old big brother baby sitter happened.  Ezra woke up.

Now, Jachin heard him on the baby monitor.  Mom has instructed him that usually Ezra was fine to fuss a bit as he woke up, So Jachin continued with his X-Box game.

And then the fussing changed.  It began to take on actual word form.  Wait.  Did Mr. Babysitter really hear what he thought he heard?  If so, the entire game plan had just changed.  What could possibly have caused the sudden wave of panic coursing through his veins?  Two little words coming across the monitor – over and over and over … “I pooped.”

Jachin was at once inspired to do the first thing that came to his mind – ignore it some more.  But after a few more minutes of listening to the declaration, his trustworthiness got the better of him.  He decided he better go upstairs and check on things. 

Ezra was still in his crib, still announcing the change in his circumstances.  And what Jachin saw when he entered the room might have just scarred him for life.

The announced poopage had indeed occurred.  But it was oh, so much more than poor Jachin had ever imagined.  There before him in the crib were not one, but three separate files of the offensive material in question.  And … a suspicious streak across Ezra’s face.  Jachin said: “Uh … Nope,” and left the room.  Micah, however braved the elements and hung out with Ezra until Mom could get home.  And the mess? Like I said, Micah braved the elements and talked to Ezra until Mom got home … and she cleaned up the mess.  Gotta love boys …

Psalms 139:23-24 says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Father, thank you for Jachin’s trustworthiness and for Micah’s bravery.  Amen.