So Sunday was kind of an exciting day. I got to see Mom’s house for the first time, and I also finally got to see my daughter, Brenna.
We went to church as usual on Sunday morning. We go to the early service so we usually are home by 11am or so. Before we left Kearney on this particular morning, we stopped by Subway an picked up some sandwiches since we weren’t going to have a lot of time. We came home, ate our sandwiches, and were off again, to Gibbon this time to Mom’s house.
We arrived at Mom’s at about 1pm or so and I got to spend a few minutes looking around her house. She just moved into that house in July of 2010 so I had never seen it before. It’s a pretty nice house. It’s fun seeing places I’ve been to lots of times but have never actually seen.
At around 1:30, it was time to head to Kearney for Brenna’s play. Brenna is a freshman this year at Kearney High. She loves singing and dancing and all that so naturally she gets involved in all the plays that come along. This play was called “All Shook Up” and was about a motorcycle riding roustabout who comes to a small town and teaches the backwater people the joys of rock and roll and dancing and necking in public. I gotta tell you, this was a fabulous play. Kearney High has a lot of talented kids. The acting, the production, the sound and lighting, the music, it was all very well done.
Like I said, Brenna is a freshman, so her part was not a big one, but she played it very well nonetheless. During most of the musical numbers, there were a lot of backup singers and dancers, boys in denim and girls in poodle skirts. Brenna was one of these. We were sitting pretty close to the front, but I couldn’t really make out any faces. Once Joni pointed her out to me, however, I was able to pick her out by her costume each time she came out. She’s pretty enthusiastic on stage and you can tell she has a lot of fun with it. In a couple of years, she’ll probably have the lead role.
After the play was over, we went out to the hallway and waited. Pretty soon Brenna came out to see us and I got my first good look at her. Of course, I already knew she was beautiful so that was no surprise. Luckily, I also knew that she was very tall or I may have been a bit shocked. She’s fourteen-years-old and almost as tall as me, nearly 6 feet. It sure was great to see her, poodle skirt an all. We talked for a few minutes and then she had to go help tear down the sets since it was their last performance.
And that was it. We got back home at around 5 or 5:30, happy but tired. I still get kind of worn out when there’s a lot of activity, like I did when I was blind. Before, it was because I had to concentrate so hard on my surroundings, and now because there is just so much to see I guess. I suppose that will pass with time.
Psalms 7:17 "I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” ESV
Psalms 21:13 "Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.” ESV
Showing posts with label brenna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brenna. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Monday, June 21, 2010
Journal - Father's Day
So yesterday was Father’s day. I hope all you Fathers out there had a great day.
My day was pretty good.. Before we left for church, Adam gave me a t-shirt that he bought with his own money. It’s a black shirt with all of the Marvel Comics superheroes on it. I was an avid collector of comic books for quite a few years so the t-shirt is pretty awesome.
After church we stopped by Walmart to look at dehumidifiers. We really need one for the basement, it’s so damp down there and keeps getting moldy. Walmart was all out of them. The lady said a lot of people have been buying them lately but they had some more coming in on a truck later in the day. Joni will have to look again when she does the shopping on Tuesday.
After Walmart, we stopped and picked up some lunch at Taco John’s. I hadn’t had Taco John's since coming back to Nebraska last year and I've really been wanting to. Since it was my choice yesterday, that's what I picked. We brought the food home and ate here.
After we ate, we drove into Gibbon to Mom’s house to borrow a mop bucket. We needed that for the basement which we are giving a thorough cleaning. We sat around Mom's for a while talking about the house she’s buying. This will be the first house she’s owned so she’s pretty excited about it. The rest of the family is pretty excited too.
It was about three o’clock when we got home from Mom’s and just as we were walking in the door my phone rang. It was Brenna calling to say happy Father’s day. I have to admit, I didn't think she would, although I was secretly hoping for an email or aFacebook message. A phone call was even better.
After that, I had to get to work on the basement. Saturday I had pulled everything out of the storage room down there. So Yesterday I scrubbed the walls and floor with bleach. Joni did some research and found out that bleach or vinegar are the best things for mold, and I sure didn’t want the whole basement smelling like vinegar. I couldn’t put the stuff back in the room afterward because the floor wouldn't dry. I ended up letting it sit overnight. Joni says it's dry today so everything can go back in there now. Then it will be time to tackle the main room which is pretty big.
After all that, I took a shower and relaxed for a while. Then I played my sax. I haven't done that for several weeks and it sure felt good.
Shortly before we went to bed, it looked like it was going to storm, but we only heard a few distant rumbles of thunder and then it cleared up. During the night we ended up getting two storms. The first was small, but the second one, at around four-thirty, was pretty loud. I still have some light perception in one eye so I can see the lightning flashes. It was going like a strobe light. The thunder was very loud and the wind came up pretty hard. I think I heard a little bit of hail too but not bad. I was pretty tired, though, and I fell asleep even though the storm was pretty loud. I like thunderstorms at night, just like blizzards, but I can do without the wind.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
My day was pretty good.. Before we left for church, Adam gave me a t-shirt that he bought with his own money. It’s a black shirt with all of the Marvel Comics superheroes on it. I was an avid collector of comic books for quite a few years so the t-shirt is pretty awesome.
After church we stopped by Walmart to look at dehumidifiers. We really need one for the basement, it’s so damp down there and keeps getting moldy. Walmart was all out of them. The lady said a lot of people have been buying them lately but they had some more coming in on a truck later in the day. Joni will have to look again when she does the shopping on Tuesday.
After Walmart, we stopped and picked up some lunch at Taco John’s. I hadn’t had Taco John's since coming back to Nebraska last year and I've really been wanting to. Since it was my choice yesterday, that's what I picked. We brought the food home and ate here.
After we ate, we drove into Gibbon to Mom’s house to borrow a mop bucket. We needed that for the basement which we are giving a thorough cleaning. We sat around Mom's for a while talking about the house she’s buying. This will be the first house she’s owned so she’s pretty excited about it. The rest of the family is pretty excited too.
It was about three o’clock when we got home from Mom’s and just as we were walking in the door my phone rang. It was Brenna calling to say happy Father’s day. I have to admit, I didn't think she would, although I was secretly hoping for an email or aFacebook message. A phone call was even better.
After that, I had to get to work on the basement. Saturday I had pulled everything out of the storage room down there. So Yesterday I scrubbed the walls and floor with bleach. Joni did some research and found out that bleach or vinegar are the best things for mold, and I sure didn’t want the whole basement smelling like vinegar. I couldn’t put the stuff back in the room afterward because the floor wouldn't dry. I ended up letting it sit overnight. Joni says it's dry today so everything can go back in there now. Then it will be time to tackle the main room which is pretty big.
After all that, I took a shower and relaxed for a while. Then I played my sax. I haven't done that for several weeks and it sure felt good.
Shortly before we went to bed, it looked like it was going to storm, but we only heard a few distant rumbles of thunder and then it cleared up. During the night we ended up getting two storms. The first was small, but the second one, at around four-thirty, was pretty loud. I still have some light perception in one eye so I can see the lightning flashes. It was going like a strobe light. The thunder was very loud and the wind came up pretty hard. I think I heard a little bit of hail too but not bad. I was pretty tired, though, and I fell asleep even though the storm was pretty loud. I like thunderstorms at night, just like blizzards, but I can do without the wind.
Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
Friday, June 11, 2010
Journal - The Amherst Play
Last evening, Thursday, Joni, Adam, Mom and myself drove over to Amherst for the annual Amherst play. Amherst is a small town, just over two hundred people, northwest of Kearney, about a 45 minute drive from Gibbon. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Amherst play, but that isn't what made the night special. The main attraction at this year’s play, a talent show in the style of the old Hee-Haw variety show, was my daughter,Brenna.
Brenna sang a solo, the second verse of “This Land is Your Land", and also played a solo on her violin. This was the first time I got to hear Brenna sing by herself and she has a beautiful, high voice. I don’t know the name of the song she played on the violin, it was kind of a country-ish fiddle-sounding piece. It's the third time I've heard her play and she is getting better all the time. In addition to those two parts, Brenna also had one spoken line where she delivered the punch-line to one of those silly jokes they were always doing on Hee-Haw.
It was an enjoyable evening, even though it was deathly hot and humid in Amherst’s little gymnasium. One of the highlights of the evening was when they sang the old favorite:
Where, oh where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the worldover,
And thought I found true love.
But you met another and p-l-l-l-t, you were gone!
After the first sweltering hour, there was an intermission and we decided to leave since Brenna's parts were done anyway. Adam took some video on our digital camera so I'll be looking forward to watching that someday.
On the way home, we stopped at McDonald’s for some sodas and dropped Mom off at the shop where her car was getting some work so she could drive it home.
I had a good time. I love the small-town life.
Psalms 150:3-6 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Brenna sang a solo, the second verse of “This Land is Your Land", and also played a solo on her violin. This was the first time I got to hear Brenna sing by herself and she has a beautiful, high voice. I don’t know the name of the song she played on the violin, it was kind of a country-ish fiddle-sounding piece. It's the third time I've heard her play and she is getting better all the time. In addition to those two parts, Brenna also had one spoken line where she delivered the punch-line to one of those silly jokes they were always doing on Hee-Haw.
It was an enjoyable evening, even though it was deathly hot and humid in Amherst’s little gymnasium. One of the highlights of the evening was when they sang the old favorite:
Where, oh where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the worldover,
And thought I found true love.
But you met another and p-l-l-l-t, you were gone!
After the first sweltering hour, there was an intermission and we decided to leave since Brenna's parts were done anyway. Adam took some video on our digital camera so I'll be looking forward to watching that someday.
On the way home, we stopped at McDonald’s for some sodas and dropped Mom off at the shop where her car was getting some work so she could drive it home.
I had a good time. I love the small-town life.
Psalms 150:3-6 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Journal - Memorial Gathering
Tonight, Tuesday, we had our second Memorial weekend gathering at Bobbi and Mike’s house. Aunt LeeDel, Uncle Butch, and Uncle Marvin were there again, along with Mom, Bobbi, Mike, Brandon, and Elliot. Me, Joni, and Adam were there of course, and Brad, Cindy, Daniel, DJ, and Taylor. Our surprise guest was Carly who is Daniel's girlfriend. That was kind of exciting, Daniel has never introduced a girlfriend to the family before as far as I know. As I mentioned before, Kyli wasn’t there because she left for her band trip early Tuesday morning, and Brenna had a softball game. I'm sort of feeling like I goofed on that. I feel like I should have gone to Brenna's softball game tonight. I’m still trying to figure out this whole "Dad" thing. I guess I don't have to go to every single thing she does. I guess that’s how it is with families, sometimes you have to choos. My heart was with her, though. There were storms in the area tonight, so I hope she didn’t get stormed on.
Anyway, we had a good time at Bobbi’s. Mike cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill which is one of my favorite things about summer. There was potato salad and Brad’s famous macaroni salad, and ribbon jello which I love. For dessert there was brownies and Mom’s famous jello poke cake. After dinner we just sat around and talked while all the kids went outside to play hacky-sack or something. It was a fun evening, and also tiring. All those voices!
Tomorrow Uncle Marvin will be driving back to Texas, Aunt LeeDel back to Sioux Falls, and Uncle Butch back to Crete. It sure was good seeing them again, and I’ll be prayingfor safe journey's tomorrow.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Anyway, we had a good time at Bobbi’s. Mike cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill which is one of my favorite things about summer. There was potato salad and Brad’s famous macaroni salad, and ribbon jello which I love. For dessert there was brownies and Mom’s famous jello poke cake. After dinner we just sat around and talked while all the kids went outside to play hacky-sack or something. It was a fun evening, and also tiring. All those voices!
Tomorrow Uncle Marvin will be driving back to Texas, Aunt LeeDel back to Sioux Falls, and Uncle Butch back to Crete. It sure was good seeing them again, and I’ll be prayingfor safe journey's tomorrow.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Journal - May Wrap-up
Well, May is over already. I had a few things that I wanted to write about during the month but I kept putting it off. Now I’m not sure if I can remember what they were.
I’m pretty sure I already mentioned Brenna’s violin recital back in April. In May she had a singing concert at the school. I’m trying to remember what day that was, but I can’t. I think it was on a Monday. Brenna didn’t sing a solo so I couldn't really pick out her voice from the others, but I'm willing to bet she sounded great. This summer she is playing softball. Two games so far and her team won both. I haven’t been able to go to one of her games yet, but I’ll make it to some before she’s done. She said that she plays catcher sometimes. I wish I could see that. In a couple of weeks she will be in a play over in Amherst. She’s supposed to sing a solo and play a solo on her violin so I’m really looking forward to that.
On Sunday we all got together at Bobbi and Mike’s house. Uncle Marvin from Dallas, Uncle Butch from Crete, and Aunt LeeDel from Sioux Falls are all here for Memorial weekend. Brenna got to come for the day too. I was glad she could come because I don’t think she's seen any of the aunts and uncles for a long time. We’re all getting together again on Tuesday. Brenna can't come this time, but Brad and his family will be there. Oh, Kylie won’t be there because her school band is taking a trip to Chicago and they leave that morning. Maybe the rest of us will get some cucumbers for a change!
A couple of weeks ago, Joni and I bought a ceiling fan to put in our bedroom. We had one in our apartment in Carrollton and I’ve sure been missing that. We were going to have Mike put it up for us since he’s very handy with just about everything, but he works in the agriculture industry and is super-busy this time of year. So we decided to try hanging the fan ourselves. It actually wasn’t very hard to do. We got it up without too much trouble, and it actually works! We put it up just in time because we’ve had some very warm nights recently.
And that’s about all I can think of right now.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I’m pretty sure I already mentioned Brenna’s violin recital back in April. In May she had a singing concert at the school. I’m trying to remember what day that was, but I can’t. I think it was on a Monday. Brenna didn’t sing a solo so I couldn't really pick out her voice from the others, but I'm willing to bet she sounded great. This summer she is playing softball. Two games so far and her team won both. I haven’t been able to go to one of her games yet, but I’ll make it to some before she’s done. She said that she plays catcher sometimes. I wish I could see that. In a couple of weeks she will be in a play over in Amherst. She’s supposed to sing a solo and play a solo on her violin so I’m really looking forward to that.
On Sunday we all got together at Bobbi and Mike’s house. Uncle Marvin from Dallas, Uncle Butch from Crete, and Aunt LeeDel from Sioux Falls are all here for Memorial weekend. Brenna got to come for the day too. I was glad she could come because I don’t think she's seen any of the aunts and uncles for a long time. We’re all getting together again on Tuesday. Brenna can't come this time, but Brad and his family will be there. Oh, Kylie won’t be there because her school band is taking a trip to Chicago and they leave that morning. Maybe the rest of us will get some cucumbers for a change!
A couple of weeks ago, Joni and I bought a ceiling fan to put in our bedroom. We had one in our apartment in Carrollton and I’ve sure been missing that. We were going to have Mike put it up for us since he’s very handy with just about everything, but he works in the agriculture industry and is super-busy this time of year. So we decided to try hanging the fan ourselves. It actually wasn’t very hard to do. We got it up without too much trouble, and it actually works! We put it up just in time because we’ve had some very warm nights recently.
And that’s about all I can think of right now.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Journal - April Wrap-up
Well, April is gone already, along with the first quarter of the year. Where does the time go? I spent the last half of April working hard on my blog and trying to figure out all that affiliate stuff, but there actually were some other things going on. So it's time to catch up.
On the Monday before last, that was the 19th I think, Joni had a minor car accident. She hit a bad spot in the gravel road not far from the house and ended up in the ditch. It was a pretty big ditch though, and the impact was hard enough to set off the airbags. She and Adam both got whacked in the face pretty good. No serious injuries, praise God.
The damage to the truck was minor too. We took it to Brad’s house in Axtell the following Thursday for him to look at. He's a mechanic. He discovered that the radiator was cracked and had to be replaced. Also the front parking lamp assemblies were broken. I called the salvage yard for the parts and Brad did the work the following Tuesday. I think I’m off by a week, I know he didn’t work on it this last Tuesday. The accident must have been on the 12th.
Anyway, the day we went to the junk yard to pick up the parts, we took our aluminum cans that we’ve been saving ever since we moved here last April. We had 84 pounds, 42 dollars worth. I gave Adam twenty since he did all the crushing, and we spent the rest at Subway after Brad finished the work. We ended up going to Walmart after he was done so I could get a tire looked at. It was almost flat when we got to Brad’s, but it turned out to be fine. Since we had the car in anyway, I had them rotate the tires and change the oil, and we went to Subway while they were working on it. They have a Subway in Walmart so that worked out well.
What else? Last Saturday, the 24th, Brenna had a violin recital at a church in Kearney. We rode up with Mom since she wanted to go too. Brenna is becoming quite the violinist! It was a long program, there were about 25 students and each played a solo, but I enjoyed hearing her play. I hope she’ll stick with the violin. Music can add so much to life.
It has occurred to me that April is full of anniversaries. Let me see:
April 5, Dad’s birthday. He would have been 65 this year.
April 8, Brenna’s birthday. She became a teenager!
April 14, the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
April 18, eighteen months since I quit smoking. A year and a half ties my record, let’s see if I can beat it this time.
April 20, the 11th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings.
April 26, a double anniversary! One year since we moved to Nebraska, and it would have been Astri’s 6th birthday.
So I think that’s it for April. One month closer to football season!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
On the Monday before last, that was the 19th I think, Joni had a minor car accident. She hit a bad spot in the gravel road not far from the house and ended up in the ditch. It was a pretty big ditch though, and the impact was hard enough to set off the airbags. She and Adam both got whacked in the face pretty good. No serious injuries, praise God.
The damage to the truck was minor too. We took it to Brad’s house in Axtell the following Thursday for him to look at. He's a mechanic. He discovered that the radiator was cracked and had to be replaced. Also the front parking lamp assemblies were broken. I called the salvage yard for the parts and Brad did the work the following Tuesday. I think I’m off by a week, I know he didn’t work on it this last Tuesday. The accident must have been on the 12th.
Anyway, the day we went to the junk yard to pick up the parts, we took our aluminum cans that we’ve been saving ever since we moved here last April. We had 84 pounds, 42 dollars worth. I gave Adam twenty since he did all the crushing, and we spent the rest at Subway after Brad finished the work. We ended up going to Walmart after he was done so I could get a tire looked at. It was almost flat when we got to Brad’s, but it turned out to be fine. Since we had the car in anyway, I had them rotate the tires and change the oil, and we went to Subway while they were working on it. They have a Subway in Walmart so that worked out well.
What else? Last Saturday, the 24th, Brenna had a violin recital at a church in Kearney. We rode up with Mom since she wanted to go too. Brenna is becoming quite the violinist! It was a long program, there were about 25 students and each played a solo, but I enjoyed hearing her play. I hope she’ll stick with the violin. Music can add so much to life.
It has occurred to me that April is full of anniversaries. Let me see:
April 5, Dad’s birthday. He would have been 65 this year.
April 8, Brenna’s birthday. She became a teenager!
April 14, the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
April 18, eighteen months since I quit smoking. A year and a half ties my record, let’s see if I can beat it this time.
April 20, the 11th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings.
April 26, a double anniversary! One year since we moved to Nebraska, and it would have been Astri’s 6th birthday.
So I think that’s it for April. One month closer to football season!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Journal - Easter and Stuff
Well, I’m in kind of a writing slump again. I’ve had a few things to write about, but I just haven't been in the mood. So I'm forcing myself again. In the past, I’ve forced myself to write when I didn't feel like it and it sort of opened a floodgate and all kinds of things came pouring out, so we'll see what happens.
Last Saturday we went to Mom’s for lunch. Brenna had spent Friday night at her house and Saturday morning they made cookies. The cookies were for Brenna’s birthday which is today, April 8th. Happy 13th Brenna! My daughter is a teenager. That feels pretty weird. Brenna told me she has a violin recital on the 24th so I’ll have to be sure and get the exact time and place so I don’t miss that.
On Sunday we went to Bobbi and Mike’s for Easter dinner. Mom was there and also Brad and his family, everyone except Daniel who is Brad's oldest. He had to work I think. We had a good time and the kids had their Easter egg hunt, even though two of them are in college now.
Basketball season is all over with now. The men’s championship game was on Monday, Duke just barely beat Butler, only winning by two points. The women's final game was on Tuesday. Uconn won as expected, but Stanford really gave them a tough game. Stanford actually led for a majority of the game and Uconn only won by six points. There is quite a history between those two teams. The last time Uconn lost a game was back in 2008 when they lost to Stanford. Stanford only lost two games this year, both times to Uconn including the championship game. That was an exciting game but I wish the Huskers had been playing.
Last week, DJ, Brad’s daughter, had emailed me and asked if I would bring my saxophone to Bobbi’s house on Easter and play for everyone. She didn’t get to come to our Christmas party last year when I played for the family. She plays the sax now at college. I told her instead of playing on Easter Joni and I would have everyone over sometime this summer and I would play then. Then I found out she’s going on an internship to Connecticut and will be gone all summer. I told her she’d just have to wait until next Christmas then. I already let it slip about playing this summer, though, so I doubt if Mom will let me out of it now. I need to start practicing again. I started using slightly heavier reeds and I was surprised how tired my lip and jaw get. The heavier reeds will give more control over the tone though once I get used to them.
Okay, that’s it for now. see you next time.
Matthew 28:1-6 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Last Saturday we went to Mom’s for lunch. Brenna had spent Friday night at her house and Saturday morning they made cookies. The cookies were for Brenna’s birthday which is today, April 8th. Happy 13th Brenna! My daughter is a teenager. That feels pretty weird. Brenna told me she has a violin recital on the 24th so I’ll have to be sure and get the exact time and place so I don’t miss that.
On Sunday we went to Bobbi and Mike’s for Easter dinner. Mom was there and also Brad and his family, everyone except Daniel who is Brad's oldest. He had to work I think. We had a good time and the kids had their Easter egg hunt, even though two of them are in college now.
Basketball season is all over with now. The men’s championship game was on Monday, Duke just barely beat Butler, only winning by two points. The women's final game was on Tuesday. Uconn won as expected, but Stanford really gave them a tough game. Stanford actually led for a majority of the game and Uconn only won by six points. There is quite a history between those two teams. The last time Uconn lost a game was back in 2008 when they lost to Stanford. Stanford only lost two games this year, both times to Uconn including the championship game. That was an exciting game but I wish the Huskers had been playing.
Last week, DJ, Brad’s daughter, had emailed me and asked if I would bring my saxophone to Bobbi’s house on Easter and play for everyone. She didn’t get to come to our Christmas party last year when I played for the family. She plays the sax now at college. I told her instead of playing on Easter Joni and I would have everyone over sometime this summer and I would play then. Then I found out she’s going on an internship to Connecticut and will be gone all summer. I told her she’d just have to wait until next Christmas then. I already let it slip about playing this summer, though, so I doubt if Mom will let me out of it now. I need to start practicing again. I started using slightly heavier reeds and I was surprised how tired my lip and jaw get. The heavier reeds will give more control over the tone though once I get used to them.
Okay, that’s it for now. see you next time.
Matthew 28:1-6 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Journal - Year End
Well, the excitement of the holidays is subsiding, and just as I expected, I have nothing to write about. Or maybe I just haven’t been in the mood. I’m really not in the mood even now as I sit here typing, but I want the record to show what’s been going on the last few days. This probably won' be very interesting to anyone other than myself, just your basic "did this, saw that" kind of stuff.
We were supposed to go to my brother, Brad’s, house for Christmas, but we got another blizzard on Christmas Eve and got snowed in. That was okay, I kind of like spending Christmas at home. Since we had planned on being at Brad's for dinner, we hadn't bought anything to make a dinner of our own. Luckily, we had the ham and all that other food that the church gave us, so we had a nice ham dinner for Christmas. Okay, I guess luck didn't really have anything to do with it. It was just God looking out for us again. The three of us had a nice day. It's fun being snowed in when you don't have to worry about getting to work and stuff.
On Saturday, we were still snowed in because we live on a farm and there's no one to clean our driveway. We had some pretty big snow drifts. We really wanted to be able to get out on Sunday though, so Joni and I got in the Explorer and basically bashed our way through the drifts until we were out. We drove in and out of the driveway about six times to make sure we had a good path through the snow.
Sunday was Adam’s fourteenth birthday. He had mentioned that he would really like it if Brenna could come over for a while to have cake and ice cream with us. Apparently he likes having a sister. So we went to church Sunday morning, then picked up Brenna and we all had lunch at Runza. If you don’t live in Nebraska, you probably don’t know what Runza is and I pity you. After lunch, we went to Mom’s house for a little while. She made Adam’s favorite, a jello poke cake. Our plan after that was to come back home for more cake and just hang out for a while. We were supposed to meet Brenna's grandparents in Minden at five o'clock so they could take her home. But, well, we got stuck in the driveway as soon as we pulled in. Joni and I dug with the snow shovel for a while, which did absolutely no good because the snow was all packed up under the truck, until finally, one of our neighbors drove by. He saw we were having trouble and stopped to lend a hand. He had a tow chain and had us out of that drift in no time. By then it was time to go drop off Brenna, but she and Adam had a good time. They seem to get along really well with each other. They can just sit and jabber back and forth at each other, then 45 minutes later you come back and they’re still jabbering at each other. Anyway, Adam had a nice birthday, and I had a good day too even though we got stuck. This was the first time I got to spend some time with Brenna without a lot of people around and I discovered that she’s pretty funny. I also found out she has double-jointed thumbs just like me.
There hasn’t been much excitement this week. I have some sore muscles in my shoulders and back from shoveling snow, but I still got on the exercise bike. I haven’t been on it for a couple of weeks and decided it’s time to get back in the habit. Last week, Joni and I filled out that application for the BCBS insurance and mailed it in. This week they called and said they are forwarding it to the underwriters. That’s encouraging in a way because at least they didn’t just reject me offhand the way Aetna did. This morning I had an appointment with an eye doctor that the Commission for the Blind set up for me. There wasn't much point to it, except I found out there’s no infection in my left eye. That kind of surprised me and I was a little encouraged by that. Then we went to Brad’s for lunch. That was our Christmas make-up since everybody was snowed in.
So that’s what’s been going on. It’s the end of the year, and I feel like I should write something deep and meaningful, but it’s just not happening today. I’m not all sad and depressed anymore, like I was at Christmas, I’m just not in the mood to write. It has been an eventful year, I'll say that much. And I’m looking forward to the challenges that the new year will bring. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to see again by next Christmas. If you’re listening, Santa, that’s all I want next year, and don't feel like you have to wait until December to deliver.
To you, faithful reader, I wish nothing but happiness and prosperity for you in the new year, and remember, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
Happy New Year 2010!
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
We were supposed to go to my brother, Brad’s, house for Christmas, but we got another blizzard on Christmas Eve and got snowed in. That was okay, I kind of like spending Christmas at home. Since we had planned on being at Brad's for dinner, we hadn't bought anything to make a dinner of our own. Luckily, we had the ham and all that other food that the church gave us, so we had a nice ham dinner for Christmas. Okay, I guess luck didn't really have anything to do with it. It was just God looking out for us again. The three of us had a nice day. It's fun being snowed in when you don't have to worry about getting to work and stuff.
On Saturday, we were still snowed in because we live on a farm and there's no one to clean our driveway. We had some pretty big snow drifts. We really wanted to be able to get out on Sunday though, so Joni and I got in the Explorer and basically bashed our way through the drifts until we were out. We drove in and out of the driveway about six times to make sure we had a good path through the snow.
Sunday was Adam’s fourteenth birthday. He had mentioned that he would really like it if Brenna could come over for a while to have cake and ice cream with us. Apparently he likes having a sister. So we went to church Sunday morning, then picked up Brenna and we all had lunch at Runza. If you don’t live in Nebraska, you probably don’t know what Runza is and I pity you. After lunch, we went to Mom’s house for a little while. She made Adam’s favorite, a jello poke cake. Our plan after that was to come back home for more cake and just hang out for a while. We were supposed to meet Brenna's grandparents in Minden at five o'clock so they could take her home. But, well, we got stuck in the driveway as soon as we pulled in. Joni and I dug with the snow shovel for a while, which did absolutely no good because the snow was all packed up under the truck, until finally, one of our neighbors drove by. He saw we were having trouble and stopped to lend a hand. He had a tow chain and had us out of that drift in no time. By then it was time to go drop off Brenna, but she and Adam had a good time. They seem to get along really well with each other. They can just sit and jabber back and forth at each other, then 45 minutes later you come back and they’re still jabbering at each other. Anyway, Adam had a nice birthday, and I had a good day too even though we got stuck. This was the first time I got to spend some time with Brenna without a lot of people around and I discovered that she’s pretty funny. I also found out she has double-jointed thumbs just like me.
There hasn’t been much excitement this week. I have some sore muscles in my shoulders and back from shoveling snow, but I still got on the exercise bike. I haven’t been on it for a couple of weeks and decided it’s time to get back in the habit. Last week, Joni and I filled out that application for the BCBS insurance and mailed it in. This week they called and said they are forwarding it to the underwriters. That’s encouraging in a way because at least they didn’t just reject me offhand the way Aetna did. This morning I had an appointment with an eye doctor that the Commission for the Blind set up for me. There wasn't much point to it, except I found out there’s no infection in my left eye. That kind of surprised me and I was a little encouraged by that. Then we went to Brad’s for lunch. That was our Christmas make-up since everybody was snowed in.
So that’s what’s been going on. It’s the end of the year, and I feel like I should write something deep and meaningful, but it’s just not happening today. I’m not all sad and depressed anymore, like I was at Christmas, I’m just not in the mood to write. It has been an eventful year, I'll say that much. And I’m looking forward to the challenges that the new year will bring. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to see again by next Christmas. If you’re listening, Santa, that’s all I want next year, and don't feel like you have to wait until December to deliver.
To you, faithful reader, I wish nothing but happiness and prosperity for you in the new year, and remember, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
Happy New Year 2010!
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Holiday Blues
Hi there. Well, after my writing frenzy last week, I just haven’t been in the mood these last couple of days. I think I have a case of the post-holiday blues. I know, I know, the holidays aren’t over yet, but that’s how I feel.
Ever since sometime around Thanksgiving, we’ve been planning and preparing for our party on the 19th. Well, the 19th came and went and has left me feeling a little empty. I don't feel disappointed exactly; Saturday was a great day and I enjoyed it a lot. But now the excitement is over, and I feel a little blue, that’s all. Maybe if I talk about Saturday, I'll feel a little better.
I already told you about going to church on Saturday morning to pick up the food they gave us. That was a really good feeling, knowing that God was looking out for us in that way. After that, we came home and started getting things ready for our party. We had decided to keep things simple and just have chicken fajitas and let everyone build their own. So, all we really had to do was chop up all the vegetables; onions and tomatoes and black olives and all that stuff. Three days later, my hands still smell like onion, yuck!
Brenna’s violin recital was at two o’clock, so we had to leave at one fifteen. The recital was put on by a violin teacher who was basically showcasing her students. They ranged from beginners, like Brenna, up to more advanced students. Brenna performed with a group of other first years. They played “Jolly Old St Nicholas” and “Good King Wenceslaus” and they sounded great! The rest of the program was various soloists, including a couple of adults who were learning the violin. I really enjoyed hearing Brenna play. I’m so glad she’s learning an instrument, and I hope she can get as much enjoyment from it as I have over the years. The recital was held in a nursing home which I thought was pretty nice.
Then it was back home again to finish our preparations. We still had a little time to kill, so I ran through “O Holy Night” and “Where Are You Christmas?” a few more times. I was still having trouble with those two, but I had done my best.
My family started showing up at 5:30. They’re a very punctual bunch. Joni finished getting the food ready and we all sat down to eat. The food was good, and the company was great. Joni cleaned up a bit and then it was time for me to play.
I was so nervous that I was actually trembling so the first couple of songs didn’t sound that great, but I finally began to calm down a little and the next few songs sounded pretty good. Then it was time for “O Holy Night.”
Well, guess what? I nailed it! I can’t even describe how I felt when I realized that I was hitting all the notes. In fact, I nailed it so well, that I started to laugh and I almost couldn’t finish the song. It's so hard to describe that feeling. It was like the whole room dropped away, and it was just me and the music. I guess that’s what people mean when they talk about being “in the zone.” I suppose it sounds a little silly, but it was kind of an emotional moment for me. After the song ended, the laughter that was bubbling up inside me, turned to tears. Well, luckily the next ong had a long intro and I pulled myself together in time.
The next song was “Where Are You Christmas?” and I messed it up, but I didn’t even care. The last three songs went fine though, and then it was over. Everyone sat around talking for a while after that, and then wenthome. Joni and I were way too wired to go to bed so we stayed up for a while. It had been a really great day.
Sunday, after we got home from church, I realized that I didn’t need to practice any more and I just kind of fell into a funk. On Monday, I decided to play anyway, and that helped a little bit, but it just wasn’t the same. I'm feeling a little better today, though, and there’s still Christmas day to look forward to. My family always gathers at Brad’s house and this will be my first Christmas with them in 8 or 9 years. That will be fun, although I feel bad that Joni can’t be with her family too. They live all the way over in Baltimore and there’s just no way for us to get there. God has his reasons for putting us where we are, and I guess we'll just have to trust in Him.
Well, this might be my last post before Christmas, so I am going to take a moment here to wish you and your family the most joyous Christmas imagineable. As you are opening your gifts, try to take a moment to think about that most wonderful gift of all that was given to us by God.
Merry Christmas, and God bless you!
Luke 2:8-14 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Ever since sometime around Thanksgiving, we’ve been planning and preparing for our party on the 19th. Well, the 19th came and went and has left me feeling a little empty. I don't feel disappointed exactly; Saturday was a great day and I enjoyed it a lot. But now the excitement is over, and I feel a little blue, that’s all. Maybe if I talk about Saturday, I'll feel a little better.
I already told you about going to church on Saturday morning to pick up the food they gave us. That was a really good feeling, knowing that God was looking out for us in that way. After that, we came home and started getting things ready for our party. We had decided to keep things simple and just have chicken fajitas and let everyone build their own. So, all we really had to do was chop up all the vegetables; onions and tomatoes and black olives and all that stuff. Three days later, my hands still smell like onion, yuck!
Brenna’s violin recital was at two o’clock, so we had to leave at one fifteen. The recital was put on by a violin teacher who was basically showcasing her students. They ranged from beginners, like Brenna, up to more advanced students. Brenna performed with a group of other first years. They played “Jolly Old St Nicholas” and “Good King Wenceslaus” and they sounded great! The rest of the program was various soloists, including a couple of adults who were learning the violin. I really enjoyed hearing Brenna play. I’m so glad she’s learning an instrument, and I hope she can get as much enjoyment from it as I have over the years. The recital was held in a nursing home which I thought was pretty nice.
Then it was back home again to finish our preparations. We still had a little time to kill, so I ran through “O Holy Night” and “Where Are You Christmas?” a few more times. I was still having trouble with those two, but I had done my best.
My family started showing up at 5:30. They’re a very punctual bunch. Joni finished getting the food ready and we all sat down to eat. The food was good, and the company was great. Joni cleaned up a bit and then it was time for me to play.
I was so nervous that I was actually trembling so the first couple of songs didn’t sound that great, but I finally began to calm down a little and the next few songs sounded pretty good. Then it was time for “O Holy Night.”
Well, guess what? I nailed it! I can’t even describe how I felt when I realized that I was hitting all the notes. In fact, I nailed it so well, that I started to laugh and I almost couldn’t finish the song. It's so hard to describe that feeling. It was like the whole room dropped away, and it was just me and the music. I guess that’s what people mean when they talk about being “in the zone.” I suppose it sounds a little silly, but it was kind of an emotional moment for me. After the song ended, the laughter that was bubbling up inside me, turned to tears. Well, luckily the next ong had a long intro and I pulled myself together in time.
The next song was “Where Are You Christmas?” and I messed it up, but I didn’t even care. The last three songs went fine though, and then it was over. Everyone sat around talking for a while after that, and then wenthome. Joni and I were way too wired to go to bed so we stayed up for a while. It had been a really great day.
Sunday, after we got home from church, I realized that I didn’t need to practice any more and I just kind of fell into a funk. On Monday, I decided to play anyway, and that helped a little bit, but it just wasn’t the same. I'm feeling a little better today, though, and there’s still Christmas day to look forward to. My family always gathers at Brad’s house and this will be my first Christmas with them in 8 or 9 years. That will be fun, although I feel bad that Joni can’t be with her family too. They live all the way over in Baltimore and there’s just no way for us to get there. God has his reasons for putting us where we are, and I guess we'll just have to trust in Him.
Well, this might be my last post before Christmas, so I am going to take a moment here to wish you and your family the most joyous Christmas imagineable. As you are opening your gifts, try to take a moment to think about that most wonderful gift of all that was given to us by God.
Merry Christmas, and God bless you!
Luke 2:8-14 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Journal - Party Countdown
Well, here it is, the 19th already! This will be a busy day for us so I hope I have time to post this. Of course, if you're reading it, then obviously I posted it haha! Okay, I'll be honest with you. I'm really writing this on Friday because I know I won’t have time to sit down and write on Saturday. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to copy and paste it into my blog on Saturday so I think I can handle that.
So, let me see, what’s been going on this week. Joni has been cleaning house like crazy since we’re having company tonight. And I’ve been practicing like crazy. The songs are sounding pretty good, but I’m still having trouble with two of them. “O Holy Night" is proving to be extremely challenging, and even after four weeks, I still haven’t had a perfect run on it, although I’m getting close. I’m also having trouble with “Where Are You Christmas.” I've always had trouble with key changes, and that one has two of them at the end. If I can get through those two songs, the show should be pretty good.
On the insurance thing: I had called the BCBS agent last Monday, the 8th I think, just as the blizzard was bearing down. I didn’t hear from him all week, but I chalked it up to the blizzard. So I waited until the following Monday to call him again. Still, I didn’t get a call back, so I called Aetna. Aetna turned me down right away. On Tuesday, the 15th, I call the main office for Blue Cross in Nebraska and complained about the agent that wouldn’t call me back. Lo and behold, he called me about 10 minutes later. He took my basic info over the phone and emailed me an application. Joni and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and fill it out yet, but at least we made a little progress this week.
My asthma and everything is holding up pretty good. I still have the free sample of Advair my doctor gave me. I’m only using it every other day and I'm getting along just fine with that. In the meantime, my doctor found some program where she was able to get me another Advair, completely free. I think that one has 50 doses in it, so I can stretch that one out for a long time. She also sent me an application to see if I would qualify to get them on a regular basis, either free or discounted. Don’t know if I will because they want to see last year’s tax form. I was still working last year, so I’ll be surprised if that works. Anyway, I'm hoping to have insurance before much longer so that's all moot.
Let me see; I did call Ken Thursday night, but he didn’t answer so I left a message. I’ll see if he calls back.
I think that’s about it. Other than my blog. You probably noticed that I’ve been writing a lot this week. I don’t know if that’s because we really have been busier than normal lately, or if I’m just getting a little more comfortable with the whole blog thing. We’ll see what happens after the holidays.
Okay, on to today. A deaconess from our church approached us a couple of weeks ago. She said that every year, the deacons and deaconesses put together Christmas baskets for needy families, and they wanted us to have one. So early this morning we went to the church to pick that up. It is basically everything for a Christmas dinner. There’s a ham, canned fruit and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh carrots, celery, and potatoes, and a cherry pie and whipped cream. What a blessing! It’s hard sometimes to admit that you need help, but if it hadn’t been for all the help we’ve received from lots of different people over the last year, my family and I would be living on the streets right now. If you ever wondered how people end up like that, this is it. They hit one of those stumbling blocks, like I have, but they don’t have any family to fall back on. Or maybe they're just too proud to ask. I hope someday, God will put us in a position where we will be able to help someone out, the way we have been helped.
Okay, I got sidetracked a little. We did that early this morning. This afternoon, we’re going to Brenna's violin recital at 2 o'clock. Stacy said they only play two songs, so that should be a short program. Then we come home and start getting things ready for our company. And somewhere in there, I need a little last minute practice time. Busy day, but I'm looking forward to all of it! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish us luck!
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
So, let me see, what’s been going on this week. Joni has been cleaning house like crazy since we’re having company tonight. And I’ve been practicing like crazy. The songs are sounding pretty good, but I’m still having trouble with two of them. “O Holy Night" is proving to be extremely challenging, and even after four weeks, I still haven’t had a perfect run on it, although I’m getting close. I’m also having trouble with “Where Are You Christmas.” I've always had trouble with key changes, and that one has two of them at the end. If I can get through those two songs, the show should be pretty good.
On the insurance thing: I had called the BCBS agent last Monday, the 8th I think, just as the blizzard was bearing down. I didn’t hear from him all week, but I chalked it up to the blizzard. So I waited until the following Monday to call him again. Still, I didn’t get a call back, so I called Aetna. Aetna turned me down right away. On Tuesday, the 15th, I call the main office for Blue Cross in Nebraska and complained about the agent that wouldn’t call me back. Lo and behold, he called me about 10 minutes later. He took my basic info over the phone and emailed me an application. Joni and I haven’t had a chance to sit down and fill it out yet, but at least we made a little progress this week.
My asthma and everything is holding up pretty good. I still have the free sample of Advair my doctor gave me. I’m only using it every other day and I'm getting along just fine with that. In the meantime, my doctor found some program where she was able to get me another Advair, completely free. I think that one has 50 doses in it, so I can stretch that one out for a long time. She also sent me an application to see if I would qualify to get them on a regular basis, either free or discounted. Don’t know if I will because they want to see last year’s tax form. I was still working last year, so I’ll be surprised if that works. Anyway, I'm hoping to have insurance before much longer so that's all moot.
Let me see; I did call Ken Thursday night, but he didn’t answer so I left a message. I’ll see if he calls back.
I think that’s about it. Other than my blog. You probably noticed that I’ve been writing a lot this week. I don’t know if that’s because we really have been busier than normal lately, or if I’m just getting a little more comfortable with the whole blog thing. We’ll see what happens after the holidays.
Okay, on to today. A deaconess from our church approached us a couple of weeks ago. She said that every year, the deacons and deaconesses put together Christmas baskets for needy families, and they wanted us to have one. So early this morning we went to the church to pick that up. It is basically everything for a Christmas dinner. There’s a ham, canned fruit and frozen vegetables, as well as fresh carrots, celery, and potatoes, and a cherry pie and whipped cream. What a blessing! It’s hard sometimes to admit that you need help, but if it hadn’t been for all the help we’ve received from lots of different people over the last year, my family and I would be living on the streets right now. If you ever wondered how people end up like that, this is it. They hit one of those stumbling blocks, like I have, but they don’t have any family to fall back on. Or maybe they're just too proud to ask. I hope someday, God will put us in a position where we will be able to help someone out, the way we have been helped.
Okay, I got sidetracked a little. We did that early this morning. This afternoon, we’re going to Brenna's violin recital at 2 o'clock. Stacy said they only play two songs, so that should be a short program. Then we come home and start getting things ready for our company. And somewhere in there, I need a little last minute practice time. Busy day, but I'm looking forward to all of it! I’ll let you know how it turns out. Wish us luck!
Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Journal, Birthday Wrap-up
Sooo, what’s been happening since my birthday? I’m glad you asked! It seems like all kinds of things are going on.
First, let me wrap up the birthday thing. I got my new socks and am enjoying them a great deal! Also, from Adam I got a Husker t-shirt that I am told looks very cool. From Joni, I got a pair of Husker lounge pants. This is mainly what I wear around the house and I definitely needed a new pair. Oh, and the angus burger was good, but not, THAT, good. I still like the Whopper better. The Coke glasses from McDonald's are nice though, they feel much heavier and sturdier than the ones they had years ago.
Okay, on to my health. I talked about the bad time I was having with my asthma. I had gone to the doctor the day before my birthday. She gave me some medicine that was very affordable, even without insurance, and I’ve been feeling very good since. The pills she gave me, however, are a steroid and you can’t take them for very long. I took my last one on Wednesday so we’ll see what happens. Actually I should be okay for a while yet; she also gave me a free sample of Advair, and now that the steroids are gone I’ll start using that. I’m still working on the insurance thing, but the blizzard kind of shut things down for a couple of days and I'm still waiting for a call back. I called a Blue Cross, Blue Shield agent because I heard they don’t deny for pre-existing conditions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Did someone say blizzard? Yep, I guess I did. It snowed pretty heavily for most of Monday and Tuesday. Lots of gusty wind too. I'm not sure what the final tally was, but they were calling for 12 to 15 inches of snow and I'm pretty sure we got at least that much. I loved blizzards when I was a kid. Laying in my nice warm bed at night, listening to the wind whoop and holler outside, knowing the snow was really piling up. That kind of stuff loses its magic a little when you get older, but this one came close. Tuesday night I lay in bed listening to my first blizzard in about 15 years. I think I got a little of the magic back because I knew I didn’t have to leave the house the next day. Also, I could hear my wind chime. I didn’t talk about my wind chime yet, but let's just say it's a very special chime that I hadn't heard since I was a child.
Aside from that, I’ve been spending my time listening to books and exercising. I’ve been putting in about 30 minutes a day on the bike, although I took a few days off when I wasn’t feeling well. Also I’ve been practicing my Christmas music a lot. Some of the songs I got turned out to be kind of difficult so I’ve been working hard on them. I think they’re coming along pretty well though, and I should be ready for the 19th. Which reminds me, Stacy, (Brenna's mom), told me that Brenna has a violin recital on the 19th. Wouldn't you know it? The recital is at 2pm though, and supper here at the house isn't until 5:30, so I think we can make it. Frankly, if I had to choose, I'd probably go to the recital. Our party could always be rescheduled.
Busy, busy, busy! And still a lot to look forward to. The 19th will be a fun day and, of course, Christmas is almost here. In the meantime I’ve got my exercise bike, and my blog, and my saxophone. Not to mention an insurance policy to track down. With any luck, this will be my only Christmas as a blind man. But I can’t get too far ahead of myself. One day at a time, one day at a time.
Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
First, let me wrap up the birthday thing. I got my new socks and am enjoying them a great deal! Also, from Adam I got a Husker t-shirt that I am told looks very cool. From Joni, I got a pair of Husker lounge pants. This is mainly what I wear around the house and I definitely needed a new pair. Oh, and the angus burger was good, but not, THAT, good. I still like the Whopper better. The Coke glasses from McDonald's are nice though, they feel much heavier and sturdier than the ones they had years ago.
Okay, on to my health. I talked about the bad time I was having with my asthma. I had gone to the doctor the day before my birthday. She gave me some medicine that was very affordable, even without insurance, and I’ve been feeling very good since. The pills she gave me, however, are a steroid and you can’t take them for very long. I took my last one on Wednesday so we’ll see what happens. Actually I should be okay for a while yet; she also gave me a free sample of Advair, and now that the steroids are gone I’ll start using that. I’m still working on the insurance thing, but the blizzard kind of shut things down for a couple of days and I'm still waiting for a call back. I called a Blue Cross, Blue Shield agent because I heard they don’t deny for pre-existing conditions. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Did someone say blizzard? Yep, I guess I did. It snowed pretty heavily for most of Monday and Tuesday. Lots of gusty wind too. I'm not sure what the final tally was, but they were calling for 12 to 15 inches of snow and I'm pretty sure we got at least that much. I loved blizzards when I was a kid. Laying in my nice warm bed at night, listening to the wind whoop and holler outside, knowing the snow was really piling up. That kind of stuff loses its magic a little when you get older, but this one came close. Tuesday night I lay in bed listening to my first blizzard in about 15 years. I think I got a little of the magic back because I knew I didn’t have to leave the house the next day. Also, I could hear my wind chime. I didn’t talk about my wind chime yet, but let's just say it's a very special chime that I hadn't heard since I was a child.
Aside from that, I’ve been spending my time listening to books and exercising. I’ve been putting in about 30 minutes a day on the bike, although I took a few days off when I wasn’t feeling well. Also I’ve been practicing my Christmas music a lot. Some of the songs I got turned out to be kind of difficult so I’ve been working hard on them. I think they’re coming along pretty well though, and I should be ready for the 19th. Which reminds me, Stacy, (Brenna's mom), told me that Brenna has a violin recital on the 19th. Wouldn't you know it? The recital is at 2pm though, and supper here at the house isn't until 5:30, so I think we can make it. Frankly, if I had to choose, I'd probably go to the recital. Our party could always be rescheduled.
Busy, busy, busy! And still a lot to look forward to. The 19th will be a fun day and, of course, Christmas is almost here. In the meantime I’ve got my exercise bike, and my blog, and my saxophone. Not to mention an insurance policy to track down. With any luck, this will be my only Christmas as a blind man. But I can’t get too far ahead of myself. One day at a time, one day at a time.
Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Journal - Busy Week
Whew! It’s been quite a week, so I thought I would take a few minutes to describe it. This probably won’t be very interesting to read, this is mostly for me. Someday, I will enjoy reading back over these posts to see what was happening in my life when I was blind. So here’s a recap:
Saturday, November 21: Joni, Adam, and I rode to Kearney, (pronounced car-nee), with Mom to watch Brenna play volleyball. Her grade doesn’t play against other schools yet, it’s really more of a practice with a short scrimmage at the end. I’m discovering that my daughter is kind of shy. That will present a challenge because I’m not very talkative either. I got to talking to Mom about how I’m finding it hard to get any exercise and found out she had an exercise bike in her basement that she wasn’t using. So when we got back, Joni and I loaded it up and took it home. I found out how much out of shape I am because the next day I was sore just from carrying that darn thing.
Sunday, November 22: Went to church today as usual. Pastor Mike gave a really good sermon about being thankful. It’s so easy to get caught up with all the things we want or the things we wish we could do, that we forget to be thankful for what we have. It’s always good to get that reminder. Also, Kylie, (my sister Bobbi’s daughter), turned 15 on Saturday so today was her “family party.” We went over for a little while and had cake and ice cream.
Monday, November 23: We didn’t have anywhere to go today, so Joni spent the morning and early afternoon cleaning. We aren’t expecting any company, but she always gives the house a thorough cleaning for the holidays. I’m not much help with that so I played the saxophone for her while she worked. I got in the mood early this year so I’ve been working on some Christmas music. Later on, I took a short spin on the bike. It's one of those that you can work with your legs or your arms so it will be a good workout.
Tuesday, November 24: Back to Mom’s today. Aunt LeeDel came down from Sioux Falls on Monday, and Uncle Butch drove over from Crete just for the day. We always enjoy their visits, and today was our only day to see them since Butch only came for the day and LeeDel drove back home Wednesday morning. Also, Kevin and family arrived from Arizona at around 6pm. We all had supper together then went over to the school to watch Kylie’s play. It was a one-act of Alice in Wonderland and Kylie played three different parts. She’s so talented!
Wednesday, November 25: Went to Mom’s yet again! Today was our big gathering with all four of us kids, spouses, and all the grandchildren. The house was so crowded! It was a little intimidating because I knew I couldn’t move around through the house without tripping over everybody, so I mostly stayed in one chair all day. I had fun though and Brenna was there so I got to talk to her a little bit. After supper we went over to the church to take family pictures. There just wasn’t room in the house to do that. Mom got her picture of us four kids, the first one in 22 years. It was such a special day but I was totally exhausted when we got home at around 8pm. It’s kind of hard work to listen to so many people all at once!
Thanksgiving Day: Today we stayed home and had our traditional holiday with just the three of us. Joni’s turkey was delicious as always and everything else was great too. We had so many things to be thankful for this year that we hardly knew where to begin. God has been very good to us, fulfilling all of our needs just as He promised He would, and then some! After the kitchen was cleaned up we all just lazed around the house and watched a little football. It was really a nice, relaxing day.
Friday, November 27: Well, another Thanksgiving come and gone. Things are returning to normal, which means it was a pretty quiet day. Had turkey sandwiches for lunch, (one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving), then I took a spin on the bike. I’m up to 30 minute workouts already and no sore muscles. After that, it was time for the Nebraska vs. Colorado game. It was on TV today, but I still prefer the radio because they’re better at explaining what’s going on. And Nebraska won! Go Huskers!
So that was our big holiday week! It sure was great spending some time with the family, but I’m glad the holidays only come around once a year! Seriously though, I am so thankful for all that God has given me. I hope that you are too, and I hope you'll take some time this holiday season to remember those who don't have families, or homes, or turkey dinners. You may not be in a position to help them financially, but we can always pray for them.
Look out Christmas, here we come!
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Saturday, November 21: Joni, Adam, and I rode to Kearney, (pronounced car-nee), with Mom to watch Brenna play volleyball. Her grade doesn’t play against other schools yet, it’s really more of a practice with a short scrimmage at the end. I’m discovering that my daughter is kind of shy. That will present a challenge because I’m not very talkative either. I got to talking to Mom about how I’m finding it hard to get any exercise and found out she had an exercise bike in her basement that she wasn’t using. So when we got back, Joni and I loaded it up and took it home. I found out how much out of shape I am because the next day I was sore just from carrying that darn thing.
Sunday, November 22: Went to church today as usual. Pastor Mike gave a really good sermon about being thankful. It’s so easy to get caught up with all the things we want or the things we wish we could do, that we forget to be thankful for what we have. It’s always good to get that reminder. Also, Kylie, (my sister Bobbi’s daughter), turned 15 on Saturday so today was her “family party.” We went over for a little while and had cake and ice cream.
Monday, November 23: We didn’t have anywhere to go today, so Joni spent the morning and early afternoon cleaning. We aren’t expecting any company, but she always gives the house a thorough cleaning for the holidays. I’m not much help with that so I played the saxophone for her while she worked. I got in the mood early this year so I’ve been working on some Christmas music. Later on, I took a short spin on the bike. It's one of those that you can work with your legs or your arms so it will be a good workout.
Tuesday, November 24: Back to Mom’s today. Aunt LeeDel came down from Sioux Falls on Monday, and Uncle Butch drove over from Crete just for the day. We always enjoy their visits, and today was our only day to see them since Butch only came for the day and LeeDel drove back home Wednesday morning. Also, Kevin and family arrived from Arizona at around 6pm. We all had supper together then went over to the school to watch Kylie’s play. It was a one-act of Alice in Wonderland and Kylie played three different parts. She’s so talented!
Wednesday, November 25: Went to Mom’s yet again! Today was our big gathering with all four of us kids, spouses, and all the grandchildren. The house was so crowded! It was a little intimidating because I knew I couldn’t move around through the house without tripping over everybody, so I mostly stayed in one chair all day. I had fun though and Brenna was there so I got to talk to her a little bit. After supper we went over to the church to take family pictures. There just wasn’t room in the house to do that. Mom got her picture of us four kids, the first one in 22 years. It was such a special day but I was totally exhausted when we got home at around 8pm. It’s kind of hard work to listen to so many people all at once!
Thanksgiving Day: Today we stayed home and had our traditional holiday with just the three of us. Joni’s turkey was delicious as always and everything else was great too. We had so many things to be thankful for this year that we hardly knew where to begin. God has been very good to us, fulfilling all of our needs just as He promised He would, and then some! After the kitchen was cleaned up we all just lazed around the house and watched a little football. It was really a nice, relaxing day.
Friday, November 27: Well, another Thanksgiving come and gone. Things are returning to normal, which means it was a pretty quiet day. Had turkey sandwiches for lunch, (one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving), then I took a spin on the bike. I’m up to 30 minute workouts already and no sore muscles. After that, it was time for the Nebraska vs. Colorado game. It was on TV today, but I still prefer the radio because they’re better at explaining what’s going on. And Nebraska won! Go Huskers!
So that was our big holiday week! It sure was great spending some time with the family, but I’m glad the holidays only come around once a year! Seriously though, I am so thankful for all that God has given me. I hope that you are too, and I hope you'll take some time this holiday season to remember those who don't have families, or homes, or turkey dinners. You may not be in a position to help them financially, but we can always pray for them.
Look out Christmas, here we come!
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Memories - Thanksgiving
Well, Thanksgiving is almost here again. What does Thanksgiving make me think of? Food, of course! But more importantly it makes me think of family. As with most families, Thanksgiving for us was about getting together to enjoy good food and good company.
My parents split up when I was 9 and the arrangement we had was Thanksgiving with Dad, Christmas with Mom. I was young enough when this tradition began that it always seemed perfectly natural to me. As a matter of fact, I honestly can’t remember any Thanksgivings before that. I have no idea what we did when my parents were still married.
So we always gathered at Grandma Brandt’s house. She always did all the cooking herself. I don’t think she would have trusted anyone else in her kitchen. Uncle Gary and Aunt Ellen would always come from Des Moines, along with our three cousins Jeff, Greg, and Eric. That was kind of special in itself because Uncle Gary and family only came to visit twice a year.
Those are good memories. The house would smell so good and there would be so many people around. Then after dinner we could go out and show our cousins around the farm. I remember one year we found a lump of some kind of chalky stuff and we used it to write all over an old shed. Then Grandpa Meril Dean saw it and made us clean it off. That was the same Grandpa that got after us for making paths through the corn. What a fuddy-duddy!
Inevitably, there came a year when Grandma said she just couldn’t do all that cooking anymore. I don’t blame her, I know how much work that is, but Thanksgiving just never felt the same after that. Instead of our home-cooked feasts, we started going out for Thanksgiving dinner. And it wasn’t long after that when Uncle Gary stopped coming. His boys were grown and they had gatherings of their own to attend.
We still had our time together with Dad and Grandma and Grandpa though. That tradition held until the mid 90’s. Grandpa died in 1992 and Dad in 1995. And us kids were grown by then too. Brad had a family of his own, and Bobbi had her family out on the east coast. Kevin was who-knows-where by then. That was around the time that I moved away too. It’s a little sad when traditions end and families grow and spread out, but that’s the natural order of things.
After that, our Thanksgivings were catch-as-catch-can. You were never really sure who might show up on any given year. In 2003, Joni and Adam came to live with me and all the sudden I had a family of my own. For the next six years we had quiet gatherings in our little apartment in Dallas. I always missed my family back home, just as Joni missed hers, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the quieter atmosphere and the beginning of a new tradition.
Now here I am back in Nebraska again, and it looks like Thanksgiving this year is going to be something really special. This year marks the first time that my three siblings and I will all be together at the same time since about 1987. I'm only guessing here, but I think Mom is kind of excited about that. I find that I’m a little excited about it too. My daughter, Brenna, will be coming so not only will us four kids be there, but also all of the grandkids; about 10 in all I think. That will be quite a crowd!
That will be on Wednesday since that was the only day we could all get together. On Thanksgiving day, Brad and family go to His mother-in-law’s, and Joni and I have decided to have our traditional quiet gathering here at the house. I find that I am looking forward to both gatherings with equal anticipation.
Traditions are so important in this crazy, ever-changing world we live in. They give us a sense of belonging; something to come home to. I said earlier that it’s sad when traditions end, but maybe they don’t really end. Maybe they just grow and evolve, like our families. The gatherings I am looking forward to this week will involve very different groups of people than the gatherings of my childhood, but it's still family, and it's still Thanksgiving. I will enjoy it while it lasts and look forward to future holidays, whatever shape they may take.
Thanks for reading today. I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition with your own family this year. And if you don’t have a tradition, it’s never too late to start a new one.
Jeremiah 30:19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I shall also glorify them and they shall not be small.
My parents split up when I was 9 and the arrangement we had was Thanksgiving with Dad, Christmas with Mom. I was young enough when this tradition began that it always seemed perfectly natural to me. As a matter of fact, I honestly can’t remember any Thanksgivings before that. I have no idea what we did when my parents were still married.
So we always gathered at Grandma Brandt’s house. She always did all the cooking herself. I don’t think she would have trusted anyone else in her kitchen. Uncle Gary and Aunt Ellen would always come from Des Moines, along with our three cousins Jeff, Greg, and Eric. That was kind of special in itself because Uncle Gary and family only came to visit twice a year.
Those are good memories. The house would smell so good and there would be so many people around. Then after dinner we could go out and show our cousins around the farm. I remember one year we found a lump of some kind of chalky stuff and we used it to write all over an old shed. Then Grandpa Meril Dean saw it and made us clean it off. That was the same Grandpa that got after us for making paths through the corn. What a fuddy-duddy!
Inevitably, there came a year when Grandma said she just couldn’t do all that cooking anymore. I don’t blame her, I know how much work that is, but Thanksgiving just never felt the same after that. Instead of our home-cooked feasts, we started going out for Thanksgiving dinner. And it wasn’t long after that when Uncle Gary stopped coming. His boys were grown and they had gatherings of their own to attend.
We still had our time together with Dad and Grandma and Grandpa though. That tradition held until the mid 90’s. Grandpa died in 1992 and Dad in 1995. And us kids were grown by then too. Brad had a family of his own, and Bobbi had her family out on the east coast. Kevin was who-knows-where by then. That was around the time that I moved away too. It’s a little sad when traditions end and families grow and spread out, but that’s the natural order of things.
After that, our Thanksgivings were catch-as-catch-can. You were never really sure who might show up on any given year. In 2003, Joni and Adam came to live with me and all the sudden I had a family of my own. For the next six years we had quiet gatherings in our little apartment in Dallas. I always missed my family back home, just as Joni missed hers, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the quieter atmosphere and the beginning of a new tradition.
Now here I am back in Nebraska again, and it looks like Thanksgiving this year is going to be something really special. This year marks the first time that my three siblings and I will all be together at the same time since about 1987. I'm only guessing here, but I think Mom is kind of excited about that. I find that I’m a little excited about it too. My daughter, Brenna, will be coming so not only will us four kids be there, but also all of the grandkids; about 10 in all I think. That will be quite a crowd!
That will be on Wednesday since that was the only day we could all get together. On Thanksgiving day, Brad and family go to His mother-in-law’s, and Joni and I have decided to have our traditional quiet gathering here at the house. I find that I am looking forward to both gatherings with equal anticipation.
Traditions are so important in this crazy, ever-changing world we live in. They give us a sense of belonging; something to come home to. I said earlier that it’s sad when traditions end, but maybe they don’t really end. Maybe they just grow and evolve, like our families. The gatherings I am looking forward to this week will involve very different groups of people than the gatherings of my childhood, but it's still family, and it's still Thanksgiving. I will enjoy it while it lasts and look forward to future holidays, whatever shape they may take.
Thanks for reading today. I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition with your own family this year. And if you don’t have a tradition, it’s never too late to start a new one.
Jeremiah 30:19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I shall also glorify them and they shall not be small.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
About Brenna
I’ve been completely blind for about five months now, and mostly blind for a couple of years. For the most part, I think I’ve been okay with that. Sure, there are times when I start to feel sorry for myself; times when I feel depressed or angry, but I always remind myself that there are much worse things that can happen to a person than going blind. But last Thursday, being blind really sucked.
I haven’t talked much about Brenna. I guess that's because I'm ashamed of myself. This is a big part of my spiritual growth, though, so I guess it's time.
A while back, I mentioned that shortly after my dad died, I got a girl pregnant and then ran off to the city. Clever how I glossed that over wasn’t it? I ran away because I felt like I had made a pretty huge mistake. I was too selfish and immature to take responsibility for a child, so off I went.
Brenna was born in April of 1997 and I had absolutely nothing to do with her other than paying my child support. Don’t think too highly of me for that, the only reason I paid was because I had to. There was a brief period when Brenna was about 2 years old when I saw her a couple of times, but again, I only did that because I felt like I had to. I knew my family wasn’t very happy with me so I tried to fake it. It was only a couple of visits though, and I gave up on it.
That went on until about a year ago. By then I had finally started listening to God and things began to look a lot different. Notice how I said “I began listening to God.” He had been talking to me all along, urging me to do the right thing, I just wasn’t listening.
So, last year, Brenna and I started exchanging emails. Emails were a good first step for us. Brenna’s mom had told me that Brenna wasn’t ready for phone calls yet, and that was okay with me because personally, I hate talking on the phone. Also, Joni, Adam, and I were still living in Dallas so visits just weren't an option yet.
Do you think that was good enough for God? Nope! In April, we just couldn’t afford to live in the city anymore, so back home to Nebraska we came. Convenient huh? Well, I was still dragging my feet. I was too scared to call Brenna on the phone, and by then my eyesight was far enough gone that I couldn’t use the computer anymore.
So God gave up and threw in the towel. HA HA HA no way! Instead, he had the lady from the Commission for the Blind give me a screen-reader program called JAWS. So the emails started up again, although now it was mostly with Brenna’s mom because Brenna was starting to lose interest in emailing. Kids these days. Long story short, last week I got an email inviting me to a school concert that Brenna was performing in.
When I was in school, I played in the band. I wasn’t much of an athlete or anything, so the band was really all I had. Also, I was pretty good at it and was proud of my accomplishments. But my dad never came to see me play. And now that he's gone, this is what I remember. That was when it really struck home.
Joni and I talked it over. I really wanted to be there, but I knew it would be hard for Joni too, meeting my daughter and my ex-girlfriend all in the same day. She knew it was important to me though, and agreed to take me.
Well, the concert was great! It wasn’t a band concert, but some different choir groups. Granted, I couldn’t pick out Brenna’s voice from the others, and I couldn’t even see her, but it felt good to be there. Mind you, we still hadn’t met, but Joni was able to pick out Brenna because she was running around with a friend who was introducing Brenna to her parents before the concert began.
When the concert was over, we exited the auditorium to see if we could find Brenna. We didn't have to look far, she was right outside the door, waiting for us. I was so nervous and just didn't know what to do, so I tried to shake her hand. She ignored that and gave me a hug. She was much braver than me! And also much taller than I expected! She’s only 12 years old, and already 5’ 6”!
Brenna led us over to where her mom was waiting and we all talked for a few minutes. We didn't stay very long though because I didn't want to totally freak her out. Actually I think I was much more freaked out than she was. Before we left, she gave me another big hug and said that she loved me. I wouldn’t have blamed her for being angry with me and chewing me out, but she was so sweet that it almost broke my heart.
Well, anyway, I never wanted to see so badly as I did that night. I wonder what she looks like. Does she look like me at all? I’ll have to wait to find out. In the meantime all I can do is be there for her as much as I can. I said earlier that I ran away because I felt like I made a mistake. Of course, now I know that my only mistake was running away. I don’t really think I can “make up for it”, but I can try to make things better going forward. With God’s help, I can.
Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord God will help me: therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
I haven’t talked much about Brenna. I guess that's because I'm ashamed of myself. This is a big part of my spiritual growth, though, so I guess it's time.
A while back, I mentioned that shortly after my dad died, I got a girl pregnant and then ran off to the city. Clever how I glossed that over wasn’t it? I ran away because I felt like I had made a pretty huge mistake. I was too selfish and immature to take responsibility for a child, so off I went.
Brenna was born in April of 1997 and I had absolutely nothing to do with her other than paying my child support. Don’t think too highly of me for that, the only reason I paid was because I had to. There was a brief period when Brenna was about 2 years old when I saw her a couple of times, but again, I only did that because I felt like I had to. I knew my family wasn’t very happy with me so I tried to fake it. It was only a couple of visits though, and I gave up on it.
That went on until about a year ago. By then I had finally started listening to God and things began to look a lot different. Notice how I said “I began listening to God.” He had been talking to me all along, urging me to do the right thing, I just wasn’t listening.
So, last year, Brenna and I started exchanging emails. Emails were a good first step for us. Brenna’s mom had told me that Brenna wasn’t ready for phone calls yet, and that was okay with me because personally, I hate talking on the phone. Also, Joni, Adam, and I were still living in Dallas so visits just weren't an option yet.
Do you think that was good enough for God? Nope! In April, we just couldn’t afford to live in the city anymore, so back home to Nebraska we came. Convenient huh? Well, I was still dragging my feet. I was too scared to call Brenna on the phone, and by then my eyesight was far enough gone that I couldn’t use the computer anymore.
So God gave up and threw in the towel. HA HA HA no way! Instead, he had the lady from the Commission for the Blind give me a screen-reader program called JAWS. So the emails started up again, although now it was mostly with Brenna’s mom because Brenna was starting to lose interest in emailing. Kids these days. Long story short, last week I got an email inviting me to a school concert that Brenna was performing in.
When I was in school, I played in the band. I wasn’t much of an athlete or anything, so the band was really all I had. Also, I was pretty good at it and was proud of my accomplishments. But my dad never came to see me play. And now that he's gone, this is what I remember. That was when it really struck home.
Joni and I talked it over. I really wanted to be there, but I knew it would be hard for Joni too, meeting my daughter and my ex-girlfriend all in the same day. She knew it was important to me though, and agreed to take me.
Well, the concert was great! It wasn’t a band concert, but some different choir groups. Granted, I couldn’t pick out Brenna’s voice from the others, and I couldn’t even see her, but it felt good to be there. Mind you, we still hadn’t met, but Joni was able to pick out Brenna because she was running around with a friend who was introducing Brenna to her parents before the concert began.
When the concert was over, we exited the auditorium to see if we could find Brenna. We didn't have to look far, she was right outside the door, waiting for us. I was so nervous and just didn't know what to do, so I tried to shake her hand. She ignored that and gave me a hug. She was much braver than me! And also much taller than I expected! She’s only 12 years old, and already 5’ 6”!
Brenna led us over to where her mom was waiting and we all talked for a few minutes. We didn't stay very long though because I didn't want to totally freak her out. Actually I think I was much more freaked out than she was. Before we left, she gave me another big hug and said that she loved me. I wouldn’t have blamed her for being angry with me and chewing me out, but she was so sweet that it almost broke my heart.
Well, anyway, I never wanted to see so badly as I did that night. I wonder what she looks like. Does she look like me at all? I’ll have to wait to find out. In the meantime all I can do is be there for her as much as I can. I said earlier that I ran away because I felt like I made a mistake. Of course, now I know that my only mistake was running away. I don’t really think I can “make up for it”, but I can try to make things better going forward. With God’s help, I can.
Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord God will help me: therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
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