September 20, 2004
Knowing Harry
Here's another gem from the vault...
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Knowing Harry
I never knew Harry. He was my husband’s grandfather who died several years before my husband and I met. Though Harry has been gone for many years, I can tell you a little about him nonetheless.
Harry was a vivacious man, full of life, full of energy, full of spunk. A little rough around the edges, Harry was a sweetheart deep down. He had a thing for girls, having three daughters and a knock-out wife--a sweet, sincere woman named Marion.
“Mare and Hare”, as they were affectionately called, were quite a duo. She, the straight-man to his colorful comic antics. She was often the naive damsel, while he was the more worldly wise-cracker. “Mare” seldom knew what to say in sensitive situations so she often spoke what was on her mind. And Harry was there to break the tension with an equally direct comment. Usually something like, “Mare, you don’t know...shinola...” Immediately those in earshot would roar with laughter while Harry pulled his bride close for a squeeze that communicated, “You may not know much, but you’re mine, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
Harry never took life too seriously. He was the fun-loving sort who was never too busy to spend time with his grandsons, ribbing them without mercy.
Everyone loved Harry.
Even though Harry is gone, there are special traits of his that live on. His oldest daughter, my husband’s mother, has his zest for life. She too is a fun-loving grandparent who always makes time for her grandchildren.
His grandson, my husband, has that same playful demeanor. There is often a glint in his eye. And like Harry, my husband is an entrepreneur--destined to make something out of nothing.
Harry’s great-grandson, my son, bears his smile--sweet and tender, with a little “devilishness” now and then.
Even his great-granddaughter, my 3-1/2 year old seems to have his sometimes off-beat sense of humor.
Although Harry has been gone a long time, he is with us still in the three generations of warm, loving people he left behind. People I have the privilege of knowing very well.
I regret having missed out on knowing Harry personally. My husband said he would’ve been nuts over me. Knowing those he left behind, I feel certain I would’ve been equally nuts over him.
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Copyright Mary Comm July 8, 1998
July 12, 2004
On the Road Again...!
It's been a while since we've gotten out of town, but here we are in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. (Actually we're staying in Louisville, if you want to be technical about it.)
This is a working vacation -- if there is such a thing! And Boulder is really just a stop along the way to give us time to get acclimated to the altitude before moving on to Beaver Creek. Our "job," if you will, is to review two ski resorts: first, Beaver Creek, then Keystone for thebestskiresorts.com. We have several activities scheduled to experience, then we will write up a review and send it in for publication on the website. (Rough life, huh!?!) This is our first go at this, so we'll see how it goes, but I'm thinking it's not going to be too bad... ;-)
Anyway, Boulder has been great. We got to see our friend, Hilary, today. We met her at the cutest little tea house in Louisville (the Huckleberry). The food was good, the tea was tasty, and the ambiance was perfect! It was also wonderful having a chance to catch up with our young friend (the daughter of our dear friends Rusty and Peggy from back home).
After lunch with Hilary, we went to the Celestial Seasonings headquarters where we got to take the official tour, then we drove through Boulder Canyon to Nederland, which ended up being a much longer drive than we anticipated. But it was at least 14 degrees cooler up there, and very beautiful, so it was worth the trip.
The kids have gotten to swim a couple of times, we've driven through the mountains, visited the Boulder Falls, and we even got to do a little antiquing today. Tomorrow we check out and move on to the next destination. I'm not certain we're acclimated to the altitude yet, but move on we must.
One thing's for certain...I miss my dawg! :-( And I'll bet he's missing us too!
March 20, 2004
The High Calling of Parenting
Parenting is perhaps the most difficult job on earth. The hours are long, the pressure is high, the emotions run deep. The investment is incalculable. The dilemmas we face often result in unpopular decisions. We must not only take into account our children's safety (physical, emotional, and spiritual), their heart, and their desires, but we must also be willing to be the 'bad guy.' No-win situations are plentiful. Tempers flare. Feelings get hurt. And hurtful words get thrown about, often much too carelessly.
We must work diligently to oversee their activities: planning, scheduling, outfitting, shuttling, and paying all the sundry fees, purchasing equipment, giving of our time, our attention, our support, and our encouragement.
We have to set appropriate boundaries, discern the most appropriate, most effective consequences, and inform them in advance of the repercussions for breaching the boundaries. Then we must respond swiftly and definitively when those inevitable breaches occur. When they make bad choices we must be willing to recognize them for what they are, set aside our own feelings about the situation(s), and proceed as promised. Above all we must be trustworthy and true to our word--even and especially when it is most difficult to do so.
Then when we 'blow it,' we must work diligently to mend those broken places, being willing to admit our own flaws and mistakes, and being ready and willing to ask forgiveness when necessary.
Yes, parenting is hard, but God has been teaching me some things about doing it more effectively--especially when dealing with a more 'difficult' child. First, you have to...
Pay Your Do’s:
Then we have to...
Ditch the Don’ts:
Following are some telltale signs of trouble to be on the lookout for:
Parenting may well be one of the hardest jobs on earth, but the rewards far exceed the difficulties. Never, ever give up on your children! Never give up the battle for their heart, for their respect, for their best. If we persevere, someday we will reap the sweetest reward!
January 14, 2004
Zach's Birthday
Our son turned 12 today! It wasn't all that long ago that I was waddling into Baylor Hospital in Dallas, both excited and petrified of the process before me. In just 15 short (?) hours
The first couple of years we had together were dreamlike most of the time. With Joel gone to work and me staying home, Zach and I had every day to spend together. We played and romped and watched Barney, napped and ate and played some more. We went for walks to the park on sunny days and sat on a blanket in the front yard discoverying the world around us: Zach for the first time; me for the first time through his eyes.
Now my baby boy is 12! I can hardly believe it when he stands next to me or gives me a hug. He's almost as tall as I am. (It won't be long before I'll have to look up to look him in the face!) And still he is the most wonderful young man; one of my very favorite people in the world. He is all boy, loving anything electronic or high-tech: computer games, video games, Bionicles, Zoids--all that stuff. He's a whiz at board games and card games, and takes to just about any sport he tries. I couldn't believe the first time he ice skated! He took off like he'd been doing it all his life!
He never ceases to amaze me....
I would have to say beyond any doubt that I am proud of my son. He's a fun and pleasant person to be around, respectful of others, kind-hearted. He's got a great sense of humor, he's smart as a whip, and he loves God. It just doesn't get any better than that!
Yeah, it's his birthday, but I'm the one who's blessed!
Happy Birthday, Zach!
August 06, 2003
Some of My Favorite People!
Jenna doing one of her favorite things!
My family! They're grrrrrreat!!!
This is my man...!
...and of course, there's Socrates!
[These photos are all from our trip to Red River, NM.]
July 27, 2003
Family Vacation
We've just returned home from an 8-day vacation to Red River, New Mexico. We were on the road almost 12 hours today, so we are beat! But we had a great time. To get all the details, complete with photos of our trip, go to Joel's blog.
As for me, I will add more of my own perspectives sometime this week.
Until then...
June 07, 2003
Makin' Memories!
We just returned home from a quick three-day trip to Enid, Oklahoma. What's in Enid?, you say? Welllll, let me just tell you! The kid-draw is Leonardo's hands-on science and fun museum with Adventure Quest (a huge outdoor play area built kinda like a castle, only out of wood). These two places were enough to keep us busy most of the day yesterday. We all had a blast--even Socrates!
Then of course there's the usual shopping mall, Wal-Mart, movie theaters, etc. We went to see "Finding Nemo" on Thursday. Joel said he liked it best of the Pixar movies to date. It didn't become my immediate favorite, but it was very entertaining!
Another fun thing we did was the Midgley Museum. It's the house-turned-museum of a somewhat eccentric family which had hobbies of collecting rocks, fossils, and the carcasses of dead animals (some call this hunting). The docent that showed us around told us the Midgley's never threw anything away, and boy, did we believe it! They had more stuff from the mid-to-late 1800's and early 1900's than I've ever seen in a personal collection. Plus, the entire outside of the house was covered with all kinds of rock, petrified wood, etc., so it had lots of character. This museum was quite an experience.
We also had plenty of down-time to play at the park. The weather was perfect for it, and the park there in town is really pretty. Joel and I relaxed while the kids played, then we all joined in for a rousing game of foxtail. (The only hitch there was that Joel threw the foxtail high up in a tree at one point, and he was getting ready to risk life and limb--his own!--to retrieve it when the wind blew it down...! After that we moved away from the trees....)
Yeah, it was a good trip. Nothing too flashy. Nothing too exciting. But we had some quality family time together to play games, take family polls, eat lots of good food, and generally enjoy being out of our usual environment together. Even Socrates had fun on this trip!
It was good to get away, but it's good to be back home, too. Of course we have lots to do to catch up around here, but it was worth it for the memories we made....
FAMILY POLL: PIXAR MOVIES
We took a poll of our family members regarding all the Pixar movies to date, to determine how we would rate them as a family. Following were the results:
Finding Nemo - Came in 1st with 18 points
A Bug's Life - Came in 2nd with 13 points
Toy Story and Monster's, Inc. tied for 3rd place with 12 points each
Toy Story 2 came in last with 5 points.
Regardless of the ratings shown above, we are definitely Pixar fans! You go, Pixar!