Nathan's Uncle

Year 51

2009-10-03T09:30:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been almost a year since my last blog post on Nathan's Uncle. You can blame facebook for taking over or my laziness or both. Anyway, glad to have made it through another year, and even though I gripe and complain a lot, like all old codgers, I truly am a grateful man and count my many blessings every day.

Autumn in the Appalachians Part 3

2008-11-15T13:32:00.009-05:00

On Saturday I drove over and ate lunch at the Unicoi State Park lodge near Helen, Georgia, then made the short hike to Anna Ruby Falls.

Does this picture preach, or what?

Anna Ruby Falls

Then I drove over and UP to Brasstown Bald. At 4784 feet, it is the highest point in Georgia, and not too far from my cabin. It is quite a hike straight up the mountain from the parking lot, very steep, but a lovely walk if you take your time.

A view from the top.

I left Brasstown Bald and drove just down the road to my buddy Dan Easton's house, or rather "houses." Dan owns two pre-Civil War cabins. He lives in one and rents the other one. Mountain Man Dan, AKA Mr. Blairsville, is a local realtor and owner of Three Springs Realty. If you are looking for mountain property, Dan is the man! Since I'm giving free advertising, I can't overlook Sarah Davis, the wonderful realtor who helped me find my place in 2003. Sarah works for Cozy Cove Realty, and she is a lot prettier than Dan!

Dan's cabins

Front porch of the rental cabin

Inside the rental cabin.

This shot at Dan's cabin reminded me of Tennyson's poem "Mariana."

from Mariana
WITH blackest moss the flower-pots
Were thickly crusted, one and all;
The rusted nails fell from the knots
That held the pear to the gable wall.
The broken sheds look'd sad and strange;
Unlifted was the clinking latch:
Weeded and worn the ancient thatch
Upon the lonely moated grange . . . .
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

Dan's kitchen

Dan's table

Dan plants a big organic garden every year and lets the deer eat all they want. Believe it or not, even though it was October, there were still a few tomatoes left on the vine, and I got to make a tomato sandwich. Dan also fried up some Nantahala sausage to go with it. Dan makes pinto beans and cornbread at least once a week. His kitchen smelled like my Granny Hinson's kitchen. Can you say heaven? You should stop in if you're ever in the area.

Nothing better!

Autumn in the Appalachians Part 2

2008-11-15T13:30:00.003-05:00

It would be safe to say that this time my mountain trip was all about hiking. When I am in the mountains I walk almost every day at Meeks Park in Blairsville. Like most of the parks I have visited in Georgia, it is impeccably maintained. It has a loop trail that takes you up and over the hills, through the forest, and along Butternut Creek to the point where it flows into the Nottely River. Almost every afternoon you will find the squirrel man there feeding the animals. It is amazing how he has tamed the squirrels and birds that come down and sit on his head or perch on his shoulder. The day I took these pictures it reminded me of a scene from Snow White.

Tuesday afternoon I drove over to Tallulah Gorge State Park to participate in the Full Moon Suspension Bridge hike. The weather was cool, the sky was clear, and the gorge was breathtaking. It took a while for the moon to rise during the hike, but it was still nice. I was hoping for one of those big orange harvest moons, but alas that moon came Wednesday night. Check out the Tallulah Gorge web site for a wealth of information about the park to help plan your visit.

Hurricane Falls

The upper rim trail was paved with recycled shredded rubber tires. It was like walking on air.

Bottom of the gorge.

On Thursday I took a loop road trip up to Tellico Plains, Tennessee, across the Cherohala Skyway to Robbinsville, North Carolina, and back to Blairsville, Georgia. It was an amazing day packed with my favorite things . . . fall color, mountains, forests, hiking, and a waterfall to boot.

An abandoned roadside cabin in Tennessee.

When I reached Tellico Plains, I stopped at the visitor center, and then walked through the gift shop and museum next door. It was a small facility, but it contained several fine collections of telephones, radios, currency, firearms, and such. Back on the road, I entered the Cherohala Skyway. A few miles down the highway, I took a side road to Bald River Falls. The winding drive along the river was relaxing, and I enjoyed the many interesting rock formations on the banks. The water level was low, revealing even more craggy black rocks in the river bed. You need to click on these photos to enlarge them and enjoy the staggering beauty.

Bald River Falls

Scenic overlook on the Cherohala Skyway.

Santeetlah Lake

Remember the Rock City advertisements from childhood vacations?

My favorite fall foliage, a sugar maple, in Robbinsville, North Carolina.

The most amazing part of my road trip was hiking the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. So amazing in fact that I decided to give it its own post. When that post is ready, I will include a link here in case I post it to one of my other blogs.

Autumn in the Appalachians Part 1

2008-11-10T06:55:00.006-05:00

I'm sure a lot can be said for springtime in the Rockies, but you can't deny there is something special about autumn in the Appalachians. Every October I trek up to my cabin for my favorite time of year, and once again this year my mountains did not disappoint. My original plans were to take a short trip like last year, but by the time I scheduled everything I wanted to do, I realized I would have to take off the whole week. I know . . . it was a sacrifice, but you do what you have to do.

I left on Saturday morning, and everything was great until I got halfway between Gainesville and Lake City. Suddenly, it sounded like all hell broke loose under the hood of my car. I lost power, the temperature gauge rocketed, and my dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. I limped to an exit, pulled over, and called AAA. I decided to relax and go with the flow rather than have a breakdown over the breakdown. I remembered in all the years I have been driving to the mountains, I had only had minor car trouble once before, and I was grateful for that. While I waited for the tow truck, I played with my iPhone and enjoyed the cool weather. My situation could have been much worse. An hour later the tow truck arrived and hauled me back to Pep Boys, one of only two garages open on Saturdays in Gainesville. While they worked on my car, I crossed the street and ate at Moe's, then hiked down to Borders, all the while counting my blessings and thinking how much worse my situation could have been. Within five hours from the breakdown I was back on the road. Don't ask me what had to be repaired. All I know is timing bar-something, serpentine-something, thermostat, and radiator cap. God bless Pep Boys!

A few weeks earlier, my longtime friend Sherry Cole had asked if she and her parents, Barbara and Bobby Bethune, could stay at the cabin for the weekend while her daddy attended a small Turkey Creek High School class reunion in the mountains. Although their time would overlap with mine, it was not a problem. It would be great to see them again. Sherry was still awake when I pulled in around 10:00 PM, and we stayed up talking into the night. Sunday morning I got to catch up with Bobby and Barbara before they headed to church and more reunion activities, and I headed to the Apple Festival in Ellijay. While we were getting ready, I played some old Singing Rambos and Lanny Wolfe Trio CDs for Barbara. Just beautiful, bittersweet memories . . . .

Monday morning we went for breakfast at the Sawmill Place in Blairsville. It was everything you would have expected. Crisp autumn air, the aroma of brewing coffee, a table spread with eggs, grits, biscuits, sausage, gravy, pecan pancakes, and stewed apples. It would be safe to say Sherry ordered everything on the menu.

Sherry just getting started on her personal buffet.

That big ole cathead biscuit sandwich is mine!

My longtime friend and me.

Bobby, Sherry & Barbara

When we got back to the cabin, we sat down and watched the Dottie Rambo Homegoing Celebration DVD and worshiped and bawled like babies. Earlier that morning Sherry and Barbara had let me know they wanted to watch the whole thing before they returned home. Only people whose lives have been touched by the Rambos' music for decades like ours have would understand.

While the Bethunes packed, I burned them some music CDs. Then we said our goodbyes, and they headed back to Nashville.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Olan!

2008-09-13T14:23:00.012-04:00

We recently celebrated the 70th birthday of the man who, with the exception of my father, has impacted my life more than any other. Of course, my life is not the only one this great and generous man has affected. So, two weeks ago over a hundred family members and friends gathered at the Pleasant Grove Fellowship Hall for a surprise birthday party to honor a man we love, Rev. Olan Hill, Jr.

Early Saturday morning, Uncle Olan went out to breakfast and running around with his adopted son Carlos. The premise, or rather the lie, was that later Carlos would need to stop by the fellowship hall to take care of some item of business and Uncle Olan would go with him. Before Uncle Olan and Carlos arrived, the rest of us had time to visit . . . a LOT of time!

Chuckie, Aunt Mary Lou & Doyle

April & Doyle

Layna, John & Hanna

One of the conversations while we waited was about Layna's new hair color. April told us when she colored it she got it a bit darker than she had planned. Personally, I thought Layna's hair looked nice. Then Layna told us that Papa (Uncle Eugene, my daddy's older brother) said he didn't like it. I was thinking that was a pretty good sign, considering that Uncle Eugene has never been a fashion icon from whom any of us sought advice. But that wasn't all. Layna told us she said, "Well, Papa, your hair is yellow!" We all laughed so hard because we knew what she was talking about. Uncle Eugene and Aunt Mary have lots of iron in their water. Of course, Aunt Mary's hair is snow white and beautiful. Can't figure that one out. Layna, while you were at it, why didn't you mention the comb-over? NOTE: I don't have to worry about Uncle Eugene reading this because he refuses to buy a computer!

Surprise!

The family pulled it off.

The menu was Mexican, Uncle Olan's favorite.

C'mon, Chuckie, squeeze on some more cholesterol!

Mama & Baby Cruz

Daddy speaks about his best friend.

Is Javin a cutie or what?

Uncle Howie got lots of sugar.

Holli serves Uncle Olan his individual sugar-free cake.

Is that the most recent photo they could find for Carla's video tribute?

My turn to give honor to my favorite uncle.

I remember Uncle Olan’s fiftieth birthday party like it was yesterday, right here in this very room. Do you remember the “Over the Hill” theme? As Uncle Olan would say, it was just “the other day.” I have pictures in my archives and look at them occasionally. Interesting . . . I was only thirty at the time, I had hair then, and Granny Hinson was there. I guess it wasn’t yesterday, and in a few weeks it will be my turn to go over the hill, too.

I remember Uncle Olan’s retirement reception, also in this very room. Part of this tribute is excerpted from a piece I wrote for that occasion. But that was over a decade ago, and because the truth remains and it was such a well-written piece, I think it bears repeating. Besides, many of you weren’t there the first time I read it, and those of you who were, don’t remember it.

Reflecting on Uncle Olan’s life, I’m reminded of a verse from the Old Testament that speaks of orphans and strays, something both he and I can relate to.

The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land . . . .
Leviticus 19:3

I graduated from Asunción Christian Academy in July 1976. I was excited about coming back to the States, as Mama and I boarded the plane. Uncle Olan and Aunt Mary Lou had agreed to let me stay with them until classes started at Southeastern in the fall. Several days later when Mama returned to Paraguay, she knew she had left me in good hands. I know this is Uncle Olan’s shindig, but you can’t really speak of him without mentioning Aunt Mary Lou. If it weren’t for her, he would never have become my uncle or surrogate father. So I’ll put her first, like Uncle Olan always does.

How much closer to having my own mama could I get? She loved me as her own. She signed with me to open my first checking account and taught me how to balance my checkbook. (Somewhere along the way I forgot how. I think I need a refresher course.)
She took me to Southeastern to help set up my apartment. She thought she was just caring for me that first summer until I started college. Imagine her surprise when she discovered I was coming home every weekend for the next three years. But she didn’t let on.

I was there for Christmas and birthdays, and she bought presents for me just like she did for Holli, Doyle, and Chuckie.

She says I never complained about her cooking, and I always ate what she prepared. What was there to complain about? It tasted just like home.

If I got sick at school, I knew I could come home, and Aunt Mary Lou would make me feel better. She wasn’t too proud to hold my head. (Some of you know what that means.)

She often took in my friends from Southeastern—Jack & Denise, April, Jimearl—and they came home for the weekends, too.

Her love and care for me never wavered, not even to this day.

Uncle Olan loved me, too. I wasn’t even his blood kin, but it felt like it. He paid for my meals when we went out to eat . . . of course he usually paid for everybody seated at the table.

He bought my first car, a blue Volkswagen Flintstonemobile. I attempted to pay him back until I burnt up the engine. “Oh, that’s what that little red light means . . . .”

He bought my second car, too, a yellow Plymouth Duster hot rod with a Holley carburetor you could hear from miles around. I just assumed that mechanic services came with the car, because Uncle Olan was always there to help me when it broke down. Once, when I was stranded in the parking garage at Maas Brothers in Lakeland, he came to tow me home, breaking the grill on the front of his Plymouth Volaré station wagon in the process. (Yes, that was the same Volaré we too to Oklahoma when Chuckie climbed from the front, to the middle, to the back, to the middle, to the front, the whole trip.)

Another time when I was at home and couldn’t get the Duster cranked, he left work in Tampa and drove all the way to Durant just to help me get it going. Uncle Olan, don’t think for a minute that I’ve forgotten. I don’t care what anybody says about his proficiency at plumbing or painting, I’ve always thought he could fix anything.

It was through Uncle Olan that I began to see the laws of the harvest come full circle, about receiving a hundredfold return in this life. He was the man who would give you the shirt off his back, unless of course he needed it to wipe up spilt varnish from Aunt Mary Lou’s white leather furniture. And he got his returns. Let’s see, there was the video camera he won at the mall, and the truck he won at Disney World, and the Caribbean cruise, and the original oil painting from a Janette Oke book . . . .

Many times I have heard Uncle Olan tell the story of how he, too, was an orphan from Oklahoma sent to California with strangers on the back of a pickup truck, how he wandered the country, how his pants were so dirty he stood them up in the corner at night, how he made his way to Florida by way of Japan, MacDill Air Force Base, Montez Green, and Jesus. How Aunt Elsie and Granny Hinson and others took him in and loved him, and ultimately how Aunt Mary Lou agreed to marry him.

This Oklahoma orphan went to college, earned two degrees, became an ordained minister, a teacher, a public school administrator, a merchant, a notary, an accountant, and local justice of the peace. People from miles around—Mexicans, migrants, transients, rednecks, and what some would call “poor white trash”—knew there was a man at 1503 Sydney Dover Rd. who would help them out, loan them a little money, prepare their taxes, or marry them in the middle of the night.

Everyone just seems to feel comfortable around Uncle Olan. Perhaps that’s why one of the multitude of scruffy little boys who always seemed to live in the house down on the corner knocked on the front door one day and asked Aunt Mary Lou, “Can Chuckie’s daddy come out and play?”

I recall a phone conversation I had with April about Uncle Olan. I don’t remember exactly when it was, but it was “the other day.” I don’t remember our conversation verbatim, but I remember talking about how much we loved him, how he was always so positive and lifted our spirits when we were around him, and how no one else could have joined our family and become such a vital part more than Uncle Olan.

Yes, he loved me then. He loves me now. How do I know? Because every time he sees me, he puts his arms around me, kisses my cheek, and says, “I love you, babe.” He still sees me as his own, and he is mine as well.

Happy birthday, Uncle Olan! I hope you have seventy more. And Aunt Mary Lou, thank you for snagging this great man!

The clothesline pictures—some were prettier than others!

The "big" gift from the family. He thought he was getting an iPhone.

Heath stopped by near the end of the party.

Year 29

2008-08-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

I was thinking about what to write for this post as I reflected on starting the new school year. I decided to click back and read last year's post entitled Year 28 first. I confess I brought myself to tears. Although I have experienced great change in my personal life in the past year, not much has changed with respect to my calling as a public school teacher. I still feel as passionate as always about my profession, and I honestly don't think I could express my feelings any better than I did last year. If you truly want to know my heart, click below and read it for the first time or second time, and let the old become new again.

http://nathansuncle.blogspot.com/2007/08/year-28.html

Welcome to the Family!

2008-08-07T16:00:00.007-04:00

Cruz Anthony Monjure

It is with great pride and pleasure that I present the newest member of our family . . . Cruz Anthony Monjure! Baby Cruz entered into our world at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, on August 7, weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. As you can imagine, like his cousin Nathan before him, he is a beautiful baby boy!

Proud parents, John & April

Baby Cruz with his mother and four lovely sisters:
Layna, Olivia, Jillian, and Hailey

Cruz with his Nana (my Aunt Sharon)

Bubby holding Cruz

My sister Carla was privileged to be present in the delivery room, and she has some amazing pictures on her blog. You can read Carla's post here.

Mama and Aunt Mary Lou with Layna in the hospital lobby.

Daddy, Uncle Olan, and Uncle Layne (Cruz's grandaddy)

Rhonda and Carla take care of business.

Bubby with Baby Cruz

Uncle Howie with two of his boys.

I started teasing Nathan that I had a new favorite boy, but he didn't fall for it. I guess I have plenty of love to go around.

As I walked toward the elevators, I passed this portrait of Dr. Rorebeck, the founder of St. Joseph's Women's Hospital. And no, I wasn't just snapping pictures to fluff up my blog. There was a reason I took the picture.

Curtis Gantt Rorebeck M. D.

Almost fifty years ago, on October 3, 1958, Dr. Rorebeck brought me into the world.

A Rose for My Angel

2008-07-29T16:37:00.004-04:00

Today marks six years since my niece and Nathan's sister, Angel Ruth Hood, came into this world and then quickly slipped away. Although I didn't hold her for long, I instantly fell in love with her, and now I miss her so. Because I am in the mountains, this is the first year I was not able to visit the cemetery on her birthday. So before I left, I took a single pink rosebud to her gravesite, like I do every year, and remembered my sweet baby girl. I know that one day I will hold her again.

Links:
Always My Angel

Ode to An Angel (poem)

Angel, we remember you today and always . . . .

Love, Uncle Howie

Jamaica 2.3: YS Falls

2008-07-22T19:09:00.001-04:00

Again, I don't feel the need to be redundant. So before you read any further, click here and read my sister's blog post first. She is much more prompt than I am at keeping up with posts, and after reading her post I learned things I didn't know about YS Falls, and that was after I had been there.

In my very first blog post last summer, I mentioned that I hoped to write about many of my favorite things. If you read the post, you will see that waterfalls were the second item in the list. There is something about a waterfall that intrigues me, amazes me, calms me, and practically hypnotizes me. I have visited the incomparable Yguazú Falls in Brazil many times, and I have hiked to several smaller falls in the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. But I must admit that Jamaica has some of the loveliest waterfalls I have ever seen. The first time I traveled to Jamaica, Todd, Nathan, and I climbed Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios. Carla took some great pictures, and the caption to my favorite picture in that post was the best adjective I could conjure—Otherworldly. The waterfalls were so breathtakingly beautiful I felt as if I were on another planet or in Heaven.

YS Falls were less dramatic than Dunn's River Falls, yet still stunning in their unique way. I appreciate Todd and Carla taking me to different locations around the island with each trip. Getting to be with my family in such lovely places is truly a blessing.

Driving to YS Falls on the right, I mean left . . . whatever.

My sweet boy in the back seat.

Be sure not to break rule #5.

On the tractor tram to the falls.

Could a tree be any more gorgeous?

My boy.

The foot of the falls.

A shot using the macro feature of my camera.

I think Heaven will be like this.

Pink ginger.

My boy and me.

Check out the different stages of the palm fruit.

I thought I was taking a picture of Todd, but the camera focused on the lizard and snail. Looks like Disney put them there to frame the shot. If you can't see them well, click on the picture and it will enlarge.

Now you see the hummingbird . . .

. . . now you don't.

The Hoods deep in discussion.

All together.

Getting harnessed up for the zipline.

Tightening the screws.

Carla took this video of me on the zipline. I love hearing Nathan shout, "UNCLE HOWIE!"

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a chicken and do not relish extreme sports. I would never bungee jump. I had seen the zipline on several reality shows, and for some reason I always thought that it was something I could handle and even enjoy without being terrified. I'm glad I did it. It was fun, but too fast to focus much on the view. It would probably be worth it to pay the extra charge for unlimited trips so that you could get used to it and enjoy both the ride and the view.

The final segment of the zipline.

Great subject and composition.

A hummingbird on a heliconia flower.

I wanted to take this vine home with me.

The road back from the falls.

Mama and Carla always say Nathan walks and stands like me. Okay I believe them.

Ackee, Jamaica's national fruit.

Happy 7th Birthday Nathan!

2008-07-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Seven years ago today was the happiest day of my life. It was the day I became Nathan's Uncle. I did not know then how this little boy would change and refocus my life, but he has become the center of our family, and DeeDee, Granddaddy, Todd, Carla, and I all revolve around him. He has brought so much joy to our family, and we cherish the day he entered our lives.

This year on special occasions I have been posting poems or other pieces I have written in the past in tribute to members of my family. Today is no different. This is a poem I wrote about Nathan on his first birthday. It describes so many of his behaviors at the time. We miss the baby, and we miss the one-year old, but we really are enjoying our big seven-year old!

Who’s That Boy?

Who’s that boy with the blazing hair,
And a pair of big blue eyes?
That’s our boy, with six new teeth,
And a smile sure to hypnotize.

Who’s that boy giving everybody sugar,
With a “hmm” and a pat, pat, pat?
That’s Mama’s boy, with the stinky diaper,
Now what do you think about that?

Who’s that boy who can feed himself,
And always wants some more?
That’s Daddy’s boy saying, “Da-da-da,”
And dropping bread balls all over the floor.

Who’s that boy with his ankles crossed,
Sucking his upside-down passie?
That’s Grandmother’s boy, with a giggle and a squeal,
Snatching off earrings and glasses.

Who’s that boy rubbing his eyes,
And nodding his sleepy head?
That’s Grandaddy’s boy snuggled asleep,
On his shoulder ready for bed.

Who’s that boy reading a book,
And singing in the microphone?
That’s Uncle Howie’s boy reading and singing,
As if he were already full-grown.

Who’s that boy with a prophet’s name,
Whose middle name is Todd?
That’s Jesus’ boy we all know,
And his name means “gift of God.”

Who’s that boy turning one year old,
Who loves to open and close the door?
Nathan is that boy, and he changed our lives,
Though he’ll always be our baby, the boy is not a baby, anymore.

—Uncle Howie
July 18, 2002

Happy 7th Birthday, Bubby!

Did you know you are my favorite nephew?

I love YOU the MOST!

Uncle Howie

Jamaica 2.2: Culturama

2008-07-10T16:16:00.000-04:00

Before you read any further, stop and read my sister's blog post about Culturama.

She explains much better than I could exactly what it is. These are just a few pictures I wanted to add to Carla's post.

DeeDee telling Nathan not to be nervous.

Bubby wondering if he is going to be nervous or not.

A cute candid.

Not sure what he's looking at.

Still nervous, but adorable.

The Braveheart Scots' decapitation scene cracked me up.

Bubby with best buds Darren and Jaleel.

Checking out the program video.

Jamaica 2.1: Nathan's Pre-Birthday Party

2008-07-01T19:06:00.004-04:00

This was my second trip to Jamaica, and I know I will write at least two posts, hence the title "Jamaica 2.1." This trip happened as unexpectedly as the first. I actually had no plans to go until I found a good ticket price online. Another influential factor was the fact that Mama and Daddy were already there, and I knew how much Mama wanted us all to be together again. Like last time, Carla, Todd, and I were able to surprise our parents and Nathan again.

Thursday evening we celebrated Nathan's birthday because we won't be there on July 18 when he turns seven. Todd grilled pork chops, per Nathan's request, and Mama and Carla rounded out his menu with garlic mashed potatoes, DeeDee's salad, and brownies. Todd also roasted garlic and grilled bacon-wrapped jalapeño and cream cheese poppers.

Todd grilling on the balcony.

DeeDee and Carla in the kitchen.
Note: DeeDee matches the curtains, and Carla matches the frig.

Making a wish.

Blowing out the candle.

Nathan was very patient during the meal and brownie sundaes. Finally, he asked about his presents. We started teasing him that there were no presents because it wasn't his real birthday yet. He didn't believe us for a second. In fact, he announced, "I'm gonna go look." He started opening cabinet doors in the kitchen, and it didn't take him long to find the hidden cache. Of all the presents, the Nintendo Wii was his favorite. DeeDee, Granddaddy, Todd, Carla, and I all pitched in on that gift, but it was worth it.

Something Mama would never have let me do.

Okay.

Granddaddy, Bubby & DeeDee

"Excited" would be an understatement.

Do you think he liked his Wii?

Do you think Uncle Howie liked his sugar?

DeeDee and Bubby Wii bowling.

To read my sister's account of Nathan's birthday party, click here.

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy!

2008-06-15T00:00:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows my daddy knows that you could never describe him fully in a blog post. He is truly an amazing man who has accomplished so much in his life. He overcame blindness to fulfill his calling, and recently celebrated fifty years as an ordained minister of the gospel. He is a talented musician, singer, and carpenter, but his best role to me has always been as a father. I know he is not perfect, because no one is, but he has always, as an example, lived what he believes in front of me. He is the wisest and most intelligent person I know, and although we don't always agree, I always consider his view and highly value his advice. What a blessing it is to have such a man to call when I need someone to talk to and know he will always care for me as a son with love and prayer!

Daddy, I love you! Happy Fathers Day!

Howie

Happy Birthday, Sister!

2008-06-14T03:00:00.001-04:00

My sister is a woman of many talents and amazing strength. I guess she inherited those gifts from our mother, well . . . except for the athletic ability, that is. Quite frankly, I'm not sure where she got that gift. I was six years old when she was born, and I still remember the day.

We have traveled the western hemisphere together, living on two continents, four countries, and countless houses. We even shared our first passport. (Now that's a picture I'll have to find.) Through thick and thin we have always been close.

I know in all the hoopla on my blog surrounding Nathan, it may seem like my sister doesn't get as much attention, but I will never forget that without her I never would have become Nathan's Uncle.

This is a poem I wrote for Carla on her birthday six years ago. Since I haven't written a new one, and this one has never appeared on the blog, I thought this would be a good time to share it.

SISTER

She’s a lady
A classic work of art
She’s a singer and a worshiper
Anointed, set apart

She’s an athlete
It all stands to reason
Volleyball, basketball, soccer
Voted MVP every season

She’s a teacher
Imparting what she knows
Science was her craft
The first career she chose

She’s a lover
Of God, her family, and friends
And they love her in return
With a love that never ends

She’s a servant
A caregiver and a nurse
A gifted, broken vessel
Putting others first

She’s a daughter
Roland and Evelyn’s heir
She’s a wife
The answer to Todd’s prayer

She’s a mother
As if she always knew
Diapers, bottles, and lullabies
Her dream at last came true

She’s a giver
Of Nathan, my nephew
Since once was not enough
Soon she’ll be a mother times two

She’s a friend
When others walk away
A confidant who knows me
Yet loves me anyway

She’s my sister
The world’s best indeed
The only one I have
And the only one I need

—For Carla
June 14, 2002

Happy birthday, Carla! You know I love you so . . . .

Replacing My Attic Ventilator Fan

2008-06-03T18:46:00.000-04:00

Some time last year the electrical circuit to my hallway, hall bathroom, and master bedroom closet lights started throwing the breaker. My electrician finally tracked it down to a short in my attic ventilator fan. He disconnected the wire to the fan so it wouldn't throw the switch for the other locations. I didn't get the fan replaced immediately, but there was a noticeable increase in my electric bill every month. A few months later Jerry and I found what we thought would be the right fan to replace it at Home Depot. The price was reasonable, so I bought it.

Several weeks later we climbed up in the attic, or rather Jerry climbed up in the blazing hot attic sauna, to disconnect the thermostat from the rafter. I handed him what I thought was my sturdy hammer to pry it from the rafter. I knew Jerry was a good toolman, but I had no idea he was strong enough to ruin my hammer!

So much for my hammer.

Next we climbed up on the roof to pull out the old fan and install the new one. The fan we had picked out at Home Depot was a perfect fit. And yes, I helped.

Taking out the old fan.

Jerry loves his work.

Prepping the new fan.

Where does this piece go?

Replacing the fan was a fairly easy job. Finding where my electrician disconnected the wire was another story. I ended up having to call my electrician, and he couldn't remember where he made the disconnection. So we had to postpone finishing the job. We finally decided to check the connection behind the attic light socket, and there it was! After Jerry got it wired and set the thermostat, I flipped the switch and the new fan kicked on.

Check out Jerry's cool lighted cap.

Good as new!

I have definitely noticed the house being cooler the last few weeks, but I guess the real proof will be when I get my next TECO bill. Thanks Jerry!

Carolina Cousins Visit

2008-05-28T18:23:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Uncle Edward and Aunt Frances Blount from Greenville, South Carolina, came down for their grandaughter Ginger's graduation from Southeastern University in Lakeland. Two of their three daughters and a host of their grandchildren and spouses came down as well. On Saturday evening, Uncle Eugene and Aunt Mary put on one of their famous fish fries at the Pleasant Grove Assembly pavilion and invited the local Blounts to attend. It was great to see two of my Carolina cousins, Joy (Blount) Painter (Ginger's mom) and Jacque (Blount) Sweet, again. Their youngest sister Jan, who was my close friend during college, was not able to attend. When we were kids we used to get to see each other fairly often, especially during the summers at Grandaddy's cabin in Franklin, North Carolina. Now that we are adults, getting together is rare. I took my camera to the fish fry, but forgot about taking pictures until we got ready to leave. At least I got a couple of good shots together with my Carolina cousins.

Joy, Me & Jacque

Springtime in the Mountains

2008-05-23T21:30:00.000-04:00

I went up to my cabin in Blairsville, Georgia, for a few days during spring break. The mountains were beautiful as always. Because spring break was later this year, I was hoping I would get to see the wild dogwoods on my property in bloom, but they were only beginning to blossom. However, there were many other spring flowers and trees in bloom across the mountains.

Perennial phlox on my bank.

Rosemary in bloom in my back yard.

Rosemary flowers

Wild violets edge my driveway.

Tulips beside my porch.

Naturalized daffodils at the tree line.

My dogwoods just beginning to open.

The back of my property.

Part of the trail at Meeks Park.

Another variety of wild violet at the park.

A macro shot.

Pine needles and cones.

Mulberry Relay for Life 2008

2008-05-18T16:40:00.000-04:00

The 2008 Mulberry, Florida, Relay for Life began Friday evening April 25, and continued through the night until Saturday morning when the announcement was made that they had raised $75,000 (currently $76,000) for the American Cancer Society. This was about $30,000 more than the previous record. They also had the best crowd turnout ever in their relay history.

The event was held at the Mulberry High School football stadium AKA "The Phosphate Bowl."

U.S. Congressman Adam Putnam sent an American flag and letter in honor of the event.

Due to technical difficulties, American Cancer Society representative Colleen Mangan stepped in on the spur of the moment to sing the National Anthem and did a beautiful job.

Colleen sings the National Anthem.

My good friend Jerry Woods is a Mulberry city commissioner and the chairman of the Mulberry Relay for Life. Jerry and his daughter Brandy lost their wife and mother, Judy, to breast cancer in 2006.

Commissioner Woods reads Congressman Putnam's letter.

Presentation of the colors.

The relay officially begins.

Mulberry High School JROTC in the lead.

Purple-shirted cancer survivors take the first lap.

Five faithful community supporters and courageous fighters carried the Relay for Life banner. Luminarias memorializing victims and honoring survivors were placed at intervals around the track. Although there were dozens of luminarias remembering people I did not know, I located the luminarias for Judy Woods and Megan Carpenter, a young lady who attended sixth grade at Tomlin Middle School where I teach.

Luminarias encircle the track.

Judy Woods' luminaria

Megan Carpenter's luminaria

The survivors tent.

Jerry's parents are both cancer survivors.

While raising funds to fight cancer, Relay for Life maintains a fine balance between memory, honor, entertainment, and fun. Each relay team has a tent and campsite where they host games and prizes, sell food and other items, and stay the night. Continuous entertainment is provided and contests are held at the main stage throughout the event. Jerry's team, the Couch Potatoes, sold sloppy joes and drinks for their fundraiser.

Brandy and Jerry try out the Couch Potatoes' couch.

Perry puts his costume together.

Jerry's younger brother Perry, who is stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, was down visiting the family during Relay. He is a man of many talents, including magic illusions and comedy. Before the night was over he would steal the show.

My turn on the couch.

Cloggers

Sikes Elementary Chorus

Mulberry PD and "Sylva" give a demonstration.

Volleyball bumpers
(I have never seen so many orbs in one picture before.)

The 2008 Couch Potatoes

The field right before the Luminaria ceremony.

HOPE became . . .

. . . a CURE!

Jerry hosts the 2008 Miss Relay Pageant. Creepy!
(Note: Jerry was the 2007 first runner-up.)

Next up was the best mullet contest. Perry took the stage sporting sunglasses, a cut-off shirt, and the coolest mullet you've ever seen. Hilarious!

Perry struts his stuff!

The Pose-Down

As if that wasn't enough, Perry challenged "Tina Turner" to a booty dancing pose-down. But it was all over when she snatched him bald-headed. Literally!

Tony's masterpiece

One of the highlights of the evening was when Tony Trotti painted a canvas to the tune of Every Time I Breathe by Big Daddy Weave. When the song ended, he flipped the canvas over to reveal that he had done a painting of Jesus upside-down. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Tony donated the painting, and later there was a drawing to raise money for ACS. I bet you would love to see it live, and now you can!

It's not too late to contribute. If you would like to make a donation and read Jerry's story, click here. To read more about my family's involvement with Relay for Life, click here. Congratulations to Mulberry Relay Committee and the people of Mulberry! Your hard work and dedication have paid off. Here's to finding the cure in the not too distant future . . . .

Mothers Day Brunch

2008-05-17T20:10:00.000-04:00

Daddy & Mama

For Mothers Day, April, Doyle, and I took our mothers to brunch at the Ramada Red Rose Ballroom in Plant City. We were sad Carla, Todd, and Nathan couldn't be there!

Aunt Mary Lou & Uncle Olan

John & April

Layna & Hailey

April & Aunt Sharon

Doyle & Aunt Mary Lou

Mama & Me

Happy Mothers Day, Mama!

2008-05-11T07:54:00.000-04:00

Days like today are days when words never seem to suffice. How can you describe someone who is your source of life, who unconditionally loves you like no other, who means the world to you? It is almost impossible because there are not adjectives enough. So in order to honor my mother today, I decided to post a letter I wrote almost ten years ago to nominate her for Oprah's Great Mom's Getaway. She didn't win, I suppose, because my writing was not eloquent enough, but she should have. So here's to the most influential woman in my life, the epitome of godliness and motherhood, a true lady who is as lovely on the inside as she is on the outside, and someone who mothers me as much today as she did almost fifty years ago when God gave me to her. She is, my mother . . . Mrs. Evelyn Blount!

R. Howard Blount, Jr.
603 W. Dixie St. • Plant City, FL 33566
(813) 752-4131

February 2, 1999

The Oprah Winfrey Show
Great Moms Getaway
P.O. Box 811071
Chicago, IL 60681

Dear Oprah and Panel of Judges:

My mother, Evelyn Blount, is truly a remarkable woman and a Great Mom of America in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Her story, however, is more than just a checklist of the things that all wonderful mothers do. It is the story of a woman whose life has been dedicated to blessing others. Mama was raised the daughter of an alcoholic sharecropper, but she made a decision at an early age to move beyond the strawberry field and make her life count for something good. The sixth of nine children, she was the first in her family to graduate with a high school diploma.

In spite of opposition from family and friends, she fell in love with and married my father, Rev. Roland Blount. Some were afraid that this blind preacher would never be able to provide for his young bride. That was forty-one years ago. My father went on to become the first disabled foreign missionary appointed by his denomination, and my mother eventually became an ordained minister herself. My father has never seen the face of his beautiful wife, but the loveliness of her spirit shines through.

Not only has my mother loved and nurtured her own children, she has been the mother of hundreds as a missionary to Latin America for twenty-eight years. As a child, I remember her bringing passing merchants inside to sit at our table and be served whatever we had to eat. Over the years she has mothered “the least of these” on a personal basis whether it be giving anonymous gifts to those less fortunate, visiting the elderly, encouraging a young person having difficulty in school, giving a ride to someone in need of transportation, or investing time on her knees, lifting up others in prayer.

Within the past year she has faced surgery for cancer twice. When she heard that a relative was questioning how God could allow this to happen to someone who had given her entire life for Him, she responded by saying, “No, He gave His life for me!”

Evelyn Blount has always been a godly example, living before her children and others the things she deeply believes. I love her and thank God for giving me to her. She is the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31. “Her children rise up and call her blessed.”

Mama’s story is far greater than the limits of a single page allow, but I’m sure you will agree that my mother, Evelyn Blount, is a most deserving candidate for a Great Moms Getaway.

Sincerely,

Howard Blount

To read more about our wonderful mother visit my sister Carla's post entitled My Beautiful Mother.

Mama, I love you today and always!

Howie

Sunday Dinner

2008-05-03T13:03:00.000-04:00

It was a big eating weekend! Layna's birthday Friday, Kelsey's birthday on Saturday, and on Sunday Mama cooked dinner to thank Jerry for painting her wheel covers and to thank John for the many times he has helped them with their car. Jerry made it, but John had to work, so April willingly took his place. The menu included tater-baked chicken, chicken & dumplings, potato salad, Fordhook limas, sweet potato casserole, and Mama's delicious oil & vinegar salad. For dessert Mama tried out Holli's layered chocolate caramel ice cream sandwich recipe.

Thanks, Mama!

Kelsey's 13th Birthday

2008-05-03T12:46:00.000-04:00

Layna's sixteenth birthday party was Friday night, and on Saturday we helped Kelsey (Kendra's oldest daughter) celebrate becoming a teenager. Family and friends young and old gathered at Medard Park and enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Sonny's Barbecue.

The candle wouldn't stay lit!

Finally!

A mountain of gifts.

A truly gracious, grateful, and sweet young lady.

I just liked Carla's expression in this picture.

Daddy & Mama

Hailey & April

Sweatyhead!

The boy loves to play!

Show-off!

Following are some bonus pictures Kendra sent me of Kelsey's special day.

Uncle Roland prays over Kelsey.

My sweaty nephew.

Bailey, Thaddeus, Nathan, Logan, and Jordan

Bubby

Layna's Sweet Sixteen

2008-04-27T00:53:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, when Carla and Nathan were home, we helped celebrate Layna's (April's daughter) sixteenth birthday. The evening started with appetizers at John and April's house, including crab dip, artichoke dip, salsa cheese dip, and fried cheese. John and April had planned a limo ride to GameWorks in Ybor City for Layna and her friends. The limo was late arriving (of course), so we hung out at the house for a while.

What a great picture of April, John, and Carla!

Nathan loves for us to watch him play his DS.

The limo finally arrived.

April looking like Aunt Sharon.

Of course it rained for the occasion.

Layna got a new phone for her birthday.

Nathan begging to play games.

The ultimate competitor.

The kids had pizza at GameWorks, but we had . . .

. . . at . . .

YUM!

Back at GameWorks, April and I wait for the bells and whistles to stop.

Hailey and Nathan called it a night on the way home.

2008 Spring Picture

2008-04-23T07:20:00.001-04:00

Here is the 2008 school picture of Nathan and me. It has been a tradition since Nathan was a baby for us to take our spring picture together at school. This year spring pictures happened to be taken the morning Carla and Nathan were flying back to Jamaica, so we were able to squeeze it in. To see the older pictures, visit Carla's blog by clicking here.

Happy 50th, Bishop!

2008-04-03T07:07:00.000-04:00

Jim and me, Easter 1977

Today my longtime friend turns 50! Bishop Jim Swilley, or Jimearl to all of his college friends, and I met on the first day of college when we were assigned to be roommates at Southeastern College in Lakeland, Florida, way back in 1976. Jim was 18 and I was 17. We have remained friends ever since. We stay in touch from time to time, and we (almost) always give each other a call on our birthdays. It's easy to remember because our birthdays are exactly six months apart. His birthday is April 3, and my birthday is October 3, so he will always be older than me. He met the half century mark today, so guess what that means for me! Bishop Swilley pastors Church in the Now in Conyers, Georgia, with his lovely wife Debye.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T08:35:00.000-04:00

And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11 (AMP)

Last night Bubby and DeeDee colored some Easter eggs because all they had at the Easter egg hunt was plastic eggs. Leave it to DeeDee to do the grandmotherly thing! But then of course DeeDee is the epitome of "mother" and "grandmother."

Why does the purple egg look brown?

DeeDee is making crab stew, garlic bread, and salad for Easter dinner. It has been wonderful to have Nathan and Carla home for two weeks of Spring Break, and we've still got (almost) a week before they fly back to Jamaica. Wish you could be here, Todd!

Mama & Daddy's Wheel Covers

2008-03-06T18:57:00.001-05:00

A "Before" picture for April and Rhoda.

April said I needed to write a new post, but nothing that eventful has happened lately. I've been busy with my National Boards, and I really have nothing good to say about that ongoing experience. The only thing I have any pictures of are Mama & Daddy's wheel covers. A few weeks ago Mama told me the paint on her wheel covers was flaking off, and when she showed them to me I had to agree that they didn't look that good. I told her Jerry might be willing to spray paint them like he did the panels on my car. Being the nice guy he is, Jerry said sure, so I went by Advance Auto Parts and got a can of wheel cover spray paint. Daddy took the wheel covers off the car, and I carried them to my house. Jerry came over, and we spent a Sunday afternoon sanding and spraying. Well, Jerry did most of the work. I sanded, then he re-sanded my wheel covers because the edges weren't "feathered" smooth enough, and of course he is THE Spraymaster. We delivered the wheel covers later that afternoon, and Daddy put them back on the car the next day. Jerry and I are looking forward to the meal Mama promised.

Jerry acting like Jerry.

Jerry re-sanding my work.

Sanding all done.

My chain-link fence was the perfect wheel cover holder.

Good as new, or should I say the "After" picture.

Note: Check out the orbs in Mama & Daddy's garage.

2008 Relay for Life

2008-02-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

The American Cancer Society's 2008 Relay for Life is just around the corner. This team event to fight cancer is a worthy cause that touches all of our lives. Tomlin Middle School, where I teach, is very involved and donates thousands of dollars every year. In 2002, my whole family attended the Relay for Life at Plant City High School. My mother, Evelyn Blount, who is a survivor of breast cancer, participated when the survivors walked the first lap.

Mama with Jackie Waller Rollyson and Louise Crowley Sullivan, three survivors from the Turkey Creek High School Class of 1954

Mama and other survivors take the first lap.

My sister Carla joins Mama for the caregivers' lap.

Our whole family was there . . .

. . . including baby Nathan.

My good friend Jerry Woods and his daughter Brandy lost their wife and mother, Judy, to breast cancer on November 8, 2006. Jerry is the director of Relay for Life for the City of Mulberry, Florida. Jerry's 2008 relay team, the Couch Potatoes, are sponsored by his employer Florida Air Tool.

Jerry, Brandy, Judy

One of the easiest ways to get involved in the Relay for Life is to make a donation online. I encourage all of my readers to join me in this fight against cancer. You can visit Jerry's Relay web page, read his family's story, and make an online donation by clicking HERE. Together we can stamp out cancer!

Florida State Fair

2008-02-17T22:55:00.000-05:00

The view from the ferris wheel.

Saturday afternoon I went to the Florida State Fair with my buddy Jerry and his daughter Brandy. We had tried to go to the fair Sunday afternoon a week ago, but the fairgrounds were packed to the gills. The front parking entrance was closed, and people were parking outside the gate all the way down Hwy. 301. We took it as a sign to try another day. This time we got in easily and even got free parking.

Walking the midway.

Brandy and Jerry wanted to go to the midway, so we headed that direction first. Brandy kept trying to get me on these crazy rides, but that wasn't about to happen. I did agree, however, to ride the giant ferris wheel.

Brandy at the top.

Jerry and I hold on for dear life.
That's I-4 in the background.

Brandy trying to coerce me to ride the Dream Catcher.

Brandy and Jerry on the Dream Catcher.
Sorry, Brandy, somebody had to stay on the ground to take the picture!

We finally left the midway . . . whew! . . . and hit the fair food. After grabbing a couple of corn dogs and a sausage sandwich, we headed across the fairgrounds to my favorite spot . . . Cracker Country! Cracker Country is bigger and better than ever. They have a depot, a barn, a garden, a couple of general stores, a church, a schoolhouse, a smokehouse, an outhouse, and some loud live irritating bluegrass music. This Florida pioneer village is just like Little House on the Prairie. I would love to have lived back then . . . at least for a day!

Entering Cracker Country.

Behind the Carlton house.

Resting at a picnic table by the outhouse. How appropriate!

A funny thing happened while we were sitting at the picnic table. To the right was the back of the schoolhouse, and a man was sitting on a wooden box behind it. The box was a cover for an air conditioner or generator or something electrical. All of a sudden, it cut on with a loud grinding sound. That man shot off the top of the box like a rocket! I could tell he was hoping no one saw, but then he looked at me and saw me laughing, and like a good sport he laughed too. I would love to have caught that scene on video.

Brandy finally found something I would ride.

Before heading home, all three of us rode the giant slide. I could have sat at the bottom and entertained myself all day people-watching. Just as we started climbing the stairs, a rather large lady with a child on her lap came whipping down the slide. The surface was so slick it spun her around, and they went flying to the bottom backwards. It was hilarious! I'm sure the three of us entertained the spectators, too. I know at one point I went airborne! All-in-all we had a great afternoon at the fair.

Happy 60th, Susan!

2008-02-04T07:03:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday evening we surprised my dear friend and colleague Susan Stephens with a party at Mary Roberts' house to celebrate her 60th birthday. Many of Susan's family members and friends were there, and of course there was an amazing spread of food.

Surprise!

Susan sees her sister.

More surprises.

Mary Roberts, party hostess extraordinaire!

Mary's lovely daughter Ashley and Elvis

Lauren, Emerson Rose, and Derrick

Susan, Brandon, and Emerson

Marilyn and Pam

My buddy Greg pulled in as I was leaving.

Happy birthday, Susan! We love you!

My Car

2008-01-30T05:55:00.000-05:00

I finally paid my car off, and as often happens, immediately had a major repair. This time it was the ball joints. When I went to pick up my car, my mechanic Frank recommended that I get four new tires . . . another big expense! But I prayed about it, and the Lord helped me find four Goodyear Wranglers for $65.00 each.

I have also been driving around for a few years with faded (supposedly black) panels on my doors and hatchback. The panels in the back were almost faded white. I started wondering if I could just spray paint the faded areas. I showed it to my friend Jerry who used to work in a paint & body shop, and he said we could do it.

So, we bought some sandpaper and a can of semi-flat black spray paint from Advance Auto Parts, and Jerry came over last weekend to help me out. The wind was blowing pretty hard at times, but we taped off everything, and then Jerry started spraying. I couldn't believe the difference it made in an instant. When we took off the tape and newspaper, the transformation was amazing.

Jerry and the project

Later, when I went by Advance Auto Parts again for help with my rear windshield wiper, I showed the salesman, and he commented that the job looked professional. Thanks, Jerry!

As good as new . . . .

Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus

2008-01-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Nathan and I went to the opening night of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. (Is that a contradiction or what?) Wednesday night, January 2, was one of the coldest nights of the year, and we had to stand outside freezing for about thirty minutes before they let us inside.

Bubby freezing while we waited outside.

Nathan started doing his "duck the camera" tricks until I put a guilt trip on him about how much money Uncle Howie had spent on the circus and how he was going to Jamaica the next day and Uncle Howie was going to miss him and needed pictures. All true, mind you!

We got to see the elephants, tigers, horses, and goats outside before they let us in.

We made it to the pre-show floor and got a picture with a couple of the circus stars. As soon as the spectators started flooding in, I got claustrophobic, so we headed for the overpriced food vendors. We started out with a pizza, and then got some Outback chicken strips and fries.

Yes, I know it's cheesy, and I don't care! I love it!

That boy LOVES cotton candy!

So serious. It's supposed to be a happy place, Bubby!

The circus production was outstanding, totally entertaining, and completely worth the $15 tickets. We had great seats.

The grand finale

It was a great evening spent with my nephew and the perfect ending to the holidays we were blessed to share with Todd, Carla, and Nathan this year. I was not looking forward to saying goodbye the next morning . . . .

NOTE: If you ever attend an event at the St. Pete Times Forum, don't buy your parking tickets in advance at Ticketmaster. I paid $8 in advance plus all the miscellaneous charges they tack on, hoping to be assured of a parking place. When we turned in the parking garage the night of the circus, the sign said $6. Rip-off!

New Year's Eve at Kendra's House

2008-01-20T09:14:00.000-05:00

Kelsey, Emily & Nathan

My cousin Kendra and her sweet girls, Kelsey and Emily, invited our family over for New Year's Eve. She prepared a wonderful meal of roast beef and vegetables, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and apple dumplings a la mode. After we stuffed ourselves we watched the kids play Nintendo Wii. Nathan, my favorite video gamehead, played hard, but I think Emily was the best-all-around player of all the games including bowling and boxing. I think she may have even beat Todd at golf!

Nathan boxing.

Later in the evening we went outside so the kids could light sparklers. I think it was Nathan's first time. By midnight, I believe we were all home in bed. Thanks for a wonderful evening, DeeDah!

After Christmas Party at Jeff & Tonya's

2008-01-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

For more years than I can remember, a small group of friends who sang together in the group Alafia and the East Hillsborough Community Mass Choir have been getting together each Christmas for a small dinner party and an after-dinner sing-a-long. This year it didn't work out for us to get together before Christmas, so we got together the Friday after Christmas at Jeff & Tonya's house.

The food was amazing as always. We had grilled steaks, April's artichoke dip, Lisa's potato salad, Tonya's oatmeal cookies, Carla's eggplant casserole, and more delicacies than I can remember. But the highlight of the meal was Jeff's unending supply of lobster tails. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves that night.

Todd, T.R., and Jeff

Tonya and Tootie, Mandy's new puppy

The Girls: Tonya, Carla, April & Lisa

John joins the girls in the kitchen.

Our singing this year was less than spectacular. For one, we missed Shellie and her strong soprano, and of course we were way out of practice on most of our songs from the past. Under extreme pressure from the girls, I sang "Light of a Million Mornings." But the highlight of the evening was Tonya singing our perennial favorite "Breath of Heaven." I love Amy Grant's version of the song, but I believe the song was written for Tonya. It fits her voice so perfectly and we are always moved emotionally each time we hear it, even when Tonya turns her back on us!

Tonya sings with her back to us.

Here's a clip of Tonya's rendition of "Breath of Heaven." Tonya don't kill me!

Christmas Morning 2007

2008-01-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

To me, the best part of Christmas is Jesus.

The second best part of Christmas is Nathan. He has been my best gift for six years now, and watching him open his presents and give his personally selected gifts to us was almost more than I could contain. Last year we were amazed at how he hand-picked our gifts from Santa's Workshop at school. I had no idea a 5-year old could select such individually appropriate gifts. He gave me a tiger figurine for my desk at school, the home of the Tomlin Tigers. This year DeeDee took him to the dollar store and let him pick out his gifts for us. My gift was a hugging teddy bear. I keep it at school attached to one of Nathan's pictures for the times I need a hug from Bubby.

I think this was the best Christmas morning so far. Carla made a breakfast casserole, the coffee was perking, and then Nathan started handing out gifts and opening presents of his own. He was so excited and so grateful for his presents. We got hugs and kisses for every gift he opened. I hope we are not spoiling him, but he's the only one we have to spend our money on right now. Hint! Hint!

You know you are truly blessed when your family asks for your Christmas list and you can't think of one thing you need. Okay, at least any affordable thing you need. If I wrote a Christmas list it would go like this:

1. a new roof
2. my house tented and fumigated
3. new ball joints on my car
4. new carpet
5. new blinds

and most of all . . .

6. an iPhone!

No one in my family wanted to spend that big, so I settled for some DVDs and a nice cash gift from Mama and Daddy that has already been put in iPhone savings.

Here are a few snapshots from our wonderful Christmas morning . . . .

Carla & Todd

Nathan gives his daddy golf balls.

"It rhymes with Winnie the Pooh."

It IS Winnie the Pooh!

Nathan gives Uncle Howie a huggable teddy bear and a hug.

DeeDee gets a digital camera.

Mommy opens her scented candle.

A bit of drama induced by a Nintendo DS Mario Kart game from Uncle Howie.

Pokémon chapter books

Pokémon drawing books

After we finished opening presents, Nathan volunteered (can you believe it?) to do the sign language performance he gave at his school program in Jamaica. The song was "Living Word" by Fred Hammond. This anointed song, plus Nathan's sign language brought us to tears. We are such cry-babies!

Bread of Life, sent down from Glory,
Many things You were on Earth,
A Holy King, a carpenter,
You are the Living Word

Bread of Heaven, sent down from Glory
Many things You were on Earth,
A Holy King, a carpenter,
You are the Living Word

Awesome Ruler, Gentle Redeemer,
God With Us, the Living Truth,
And what a Friend we have in You,
You are the Living Word

Jesus, Jesus, that's what we call You,
Manger born, but on a tree,
You died to save humanity
You are the Living Word

And now a first for Nathan's Uncle. Not a YouTube link, but my own uploaded video. I give you my nephew, Nathan . . . .

Christmas Eve at April & John's House

2008-01-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I haven't posted in over a month. Things happen, but I'm back now. Forgive me!

We spent Christmas Eve at April & John's house. John fried turkeys, baked hams, and barbecued ribs. The ladies provided the sides and desserts. Love those mustard greens and pecan pie!

Gayle, Mark, Todd, Daddy, Carla, and part of April

Uncle Layne, Aunt Sharon, and Mama

April's daughter, Layna

Carla & Nathan

After Christmas Eve dinner, we gathered in the living room and sang carols. Thanks John & April for bringing us all together at your house.

You can read more about the evening on Carla's blog here.

And Aubrey Was Her Name . . .

2007-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

And Aubrey was her name,
A not so very ordinary girl or name . . .

Three weeks to the day after I said goodbye to my little buddy, Taylor, I had to send his lifelong companion and my sweet girl, Aubrey, back to her Creator.

Aubrey came to live with me on October 27, 1990. Everyone who knew her would agree that I could not have found a sweeter angel to share my life. She, too, will be greatly missed.

How 'bout that baby girl?

I have been a dachshund-lover all my life, but Aubrey was my first longhair. Her mother, Suki's Pretty Girl, was a show dog and the most stunningly beautiful doxie I had ever seen. My little pick of the litter was a red sable like her mother, so I named her Blount's Auburn Girl and called her Aubrey for short.

Aubrey had a strong mothering instinct, and although he was always afraid of them, Taylor fathered 9 of Aubrey's 14 puppies from three litters.

A U B R E Y
August 27, 1990 - November 30, 2007

Goodbye, Aub'ey!

I love you, sweet angel . . .

How I miss the girl
And I'd go a million times around the world just to say
She had been mine for a day . . .

A Lovely Mess

2007-11-24T11:35:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you let a candle burn too long, but I thought it created an amazing paradox, a lovely mess. I watched as the wax poured like a waterfall and then cooled like lava into an exquisite tabletop design. Hey Rhoda, how's that for a decorating tip?

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-23T10:33:00.000-05:00

I didn't go to the mountains for Thanksgiving this year. For some reason, I just didn't feel up to the drive. Last year, although I had invitations, I spent Thanksgiving alone at the cabin. I bought a rotisserie chicken and a pumpkin pie, whipped up some Stovetop Stuffing, slid The Waltons Thanksgiving in the DVD player, and had a great time all by myself.

Yesterday, my Thanksgiving morning started out with a phone call from Carla and Nathan. They were headed out the door to spend the day with missionary friends in Christiana, Jamaica. We're all looking forward to the Hoods coming home for Christmas.

This year, Mama, Daddy, and I spent Thanksgiving with the Hills. Heather and Tim, JerriLynn, Joslyn, and Javin Rodriguez were there, too. When we arrived, Uncle Olan, Doyle, and Tim were watching the game on the widescreen plasma. For those of you who know me well . . . I still don't get it.

Thanks to Mama, Uncle Olan, and Aunt Mary Lou, Thanksgiving dinner was a feast as usual, complete with a baked turkey, a fried turkey, dressing, chicken & dumplings, broccoli casserole, squash casserole, eggplant casserole, mustard greens, rutabagas, ambrosia, pecan pie, and pumpkin cake. I would have enjoyed Todd's baked ham and Holli's or Lisa's potato salad, but since I didn't cook a thing, I can't complain.

It was great to see Doyle and catch up again. After dinner, Heather was wading through the sale papers planning her Black Friday itinerary with Uncle Olan and Aunt Mary Lou. Uncle Olan likes to shop as much as any woman I know. I glanced through some of the sale papers, too, but I found nothing that would make me subject myself to that madness.

I hope all my readers had a special Thanksgiving wherever you are, and that you are as thankful for the blessings in your life as I am for mine.

Mr. Blount's Classroom Goes Online

2007-11-18T08:06:00.000-05:00

Just a note for my readers to check out my newest blog, Mr. Blount's Classroom. It's something I've been trying to work out since school started, and I finally got it up and running. It probably won't interest most of you, but I'm sure inquiring minds like April will want to have regular updates on what's happening at school. This site will be kept positive and informative. Sorry, no politics here! You can find that at Eyes Wide Open.

Part 2 - Dunn's River Falls, Jamaica

2007-11-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

My very first blog post on Nathan's Uncle was June 18. In that post I told how Nathan was my favorite subject, but that I hoped to write about many of my favorite things. I included a brainstormed list of many of those things. The first two topics in my list of favorites were mountains and waterfalls. Later, on June 29, I wrote about my trip out West and how Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was the most beautiful place on Earth.

Well, on Friday, November 1, those two posts collided in Ocho Rios (or "Ochy" as the locals call it), Jamaica. Todd, Carla, Nathan, and I visited what may well be the second most beautiful spot on Earth. Dunn's River Falls is the number one tourist destination in Jamaica, as well it should be. Cruise ships haul in visitors by the thousands to climb the falls from bottom to top. Fortunately, we hit it on a day when no cruise ships were in port.

The following photo-sequence tells the story of the amazing day we spent together:

They made me ride in the back seat with Nathan all the way from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios. Not only that . . . they forced me to ride with him in the back seat all the way back, including Todd's navigation through the interminable traffic and gridlocks in MoBay. I know . . . sometimes people treat you that way, and you just have to put up with it.

The lush tropical foliage speaks for itself.

Parking is at the top of the falls, and we couldn't resist stopping for some pictures before hiking to the bottom.

My sweet sister, Carla . . . the best brother-in-law ever, Todd . . . and of course the center of my world, Nathan . . . meet the Hoods, missionary associates to Jamaica!

"Am I going to climb this waterfall or not?"

Snapped on our way down. I thought this sign had a vintage Hollywood look.

A bit of history.

Where the falls meet the beach.

Dunn's River flows into the Caribbean Sea.

We begin the ascent alone.

At this point we decide to let an escorted tour group go ahead so we could follow in their steps. This illustrates how large groups navigate the falls by holding hands in single file.

We've only just begun.

I think this image through the jungle foliage has great 3-D composition. Cool shot, Carla!

Another interesting shot. I love the jungle vines in this one. The escorts for the tour group lagged behind to assist us, even though we had not hired them. We tipped them when we reached the top.

He-Man and the Olympic Gold Medalist.

Otherworldly.

Near the top. Almost Heaven.

Carla, thanks for being our official trek photographer. You got some amazing shots, Sister!

Footnote: I still remember the night several years ago when Todd told me they were going to be missionaries to Jamaica. I didn't receive the news well. They would be taking my one and only nephew away from me. Over time, I came to accept the inevitable, and being a missionary's kid myself I knew that Nathan would get to experience many things that the average American kid would never be able to do, and I could never deny him those benefits. Watching Nathan climb Dunn's River Falls and swim near the coral reef at Doctor's Cave confirmed that knowledge for me.

Goodnight, Little Buddy . . .

2007-11-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

Today I had to tell my little buddy Taylor good-bye.

He came to live with Aubrey and me on September 12, 1992. He has been our companion and brought so much joy to our lives for the past 15 years. He will be greatly missed.

Is he a cute baby boy, or what?

After I had Aubrey for a year and a half, I told the breeder I wanted a black & tan long-haired male dachshund puppy. She didn't have any at the time, but she took my order, and eventually Taylor was born. Hence his registered name, Blount's Taylor Made.

T A Y L O R
July 16, 1992 - November 9, 2007

Goodnight, Tatie-Boo!

I love you, little man . . .

Part 1 - The Jamaica Surprise!

2007-11-05T06:05:00.000-05:00

I figured when I came home early from my annual autumn trip to the mountains that I was saving my personal days for something. Although I had some ideas, I wasn't sure exactly what it was for. But by Friday of that same week I found out.

If you read my earlier post then you know that my parents' celebrated their golden anniversary in Jamaica on Saturday. Based on Rhoda's comment to that post about them being with the Hoods, I don't think she knew that I was with them too.

It had been in my mind for several weeks, and Carla and I had discussed the possibility of me flying down to Montego Bay for the golden anniversary weekend. For several reasons, I just didn't see it coming together. Then, last Friday night I thought I would see if there were any tickets still available. I found a flight on Air Jamaica from Orlando to MoBay for a decent price, then called Carla. We made a plan, and I booked it. This past long weekend we pulled off our plan perfectly, and here's how it all came together . . . .

Last Thursday, April drove me to Orlando International (God bless her!). The actual air flight time was only an hour and a half. I didn't check any luggage, so when I arrived I breezed straight through immigration and customs. Todd and Carla had gone by Nathan's school to pick him up from football (soccer) practice. When he asked why they were going to the airport, Todd told him they were going to pick up a "package." He had no idea that Uncle Howie was about to walk out the door. I think I surprised him so much he was speechless, and for a "talkie-mouth" like Nathan, that was a rare event.

When we left Sangster Airport I got my first taste of Jamaican driving, but more about that later. Upon arrival at the Hoods' residence, Nathan went inside and told DeeDee and Granddaddy that they had a surprise. He instructed DeeDee to close her eyes, then I walked into the room. When she opened her eyes, there I was. They had no clue that I was coming and were completely surprised to see me there.

We ate dinner at the Yacht Club that night, and of course the Spiderman 3 DVD I brought Nathan could not wait. I ended the evening with a cup of Mama's café con leche and my nephew sitting on my lap reading to me. What could be better? I'm not jealous of Granddaddy anymore.

NOTE: All pictures in this post are courtesy of Todd & Carla.

A Golden Couple Celebrate 50 Years Together!

2007-11-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Fifty years ago today . . .

. . . a sharecropper's daughter

and a farmer's blind son . . .

. . . became man and wife.

Rev. and Mrs. Roland Blount
Pleasant Grove Assembly of God

Durant, Florida

November 3, 1957

The Blounts became missionaries and traveled to many foreign lands. They celebrated their silver anniversary in Latin America . . .

Rev. and Mrs. Roland Blount
Asuncion, Paraguay
November 3, 1982

. . . and today they celebrate their golden anniversary in the Caribbean.

Rev. and Mrs. Roland Blount
Montego Bay, Jamaica
November 3, 2007

Happy Golden Anniversary, Mama & Daddy!

I love you, Howie

Autumn Leaves . . . and a Fireplace Too!

2007-10-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I headed up to the mountains for my annual fall trip. The traffic jams caused by lane closings and a bad wreck on I-75 made it one of the longest trips ever, but it was worth it. You know, I-75 in south Georgia has been under perpetual construction since I was a kid in the 1970s. I wonder when they plan to finish . . . .

This December will mark four years since God gave me my log cabin in Blairsville, Georgia. I can't believe how time flies. I always enjoy the cabin in the winter, spring, and summer, but fall is my favorite time to go. The crisp air and fall foliage in a mountain setting can't be beat. The autumn leaves this year, though not the spectacular display of 2006, were amazing as usual. The first morning when I awoke the temperature had plummeted to 38 degrees. After the much-needed rain moved in, the lows hovered in the 60s.

On Sunday I mowed the chest-high (in places) grass on the back slope. It was a chore, but it looked so nice when I was done.

On Monday I drove down to Ellijay to enjoy a day of FAVORITES. My first stop was at the library in Blue Ridge to check my email. (When I get my second generation iPhone I won't have to do that anymore.) Upon arrival in Ellijay I ate lunch at Las Palmas, my FAVORITE Mexican buffet. Only $5.99, and it includes an unlimited supply of my FAVORITE white nacho cheese. I bought some shirts at Goodys, where there's always a sale, and then enjoyed taking my time roaming the aisles at my FAVORITE Wal-Mart Supercenter. I stopped by Starbucks on the way home for a hot Caramel Apple Spice, my new FAVORITE drink, and sipped it as I listened to A Light From Heaven, the final book in the Mitford series (another FAVORITE), on my drive back to the cabin. I stopped at the Mercier Orchards store in Blue Ridge and picked up some Rome apples for my friend Mary, so she can make her famous apple cake (yet another (FAVORITE). Yum! I learned at Mercier that only the early apple crops were damaged by the late spring freeze and that the late apples were fine. I also stopped at Ingles and picked up several pounds of Nantahala sausage (my FAVORITE) for Mary and Mama & Daddy. I'm hoping Mary will make her Velveeta, sausage, and salsa dip, one of my all-time FAVORITES.

Although it was raining when I got home, I went out to the wood stacks at the edge of the trees in the back yard to dig around for some dry firewood. This was the wood from the double-trunk pine tree that fell across my yard, narrowly missing the cabin when the hurricanes went through in 2004. My brother-in-law Todd chainsawed and split the wood while Carla, Sherry, Nathan, and I stacked the wood and gathered and burned the pine boughs. The following series of photos were taken by Sherry's husband, Josh Cole, during our 2004 fall vacation . . . well, not so sure Todd thought it was a vacation.

Thanks, Toddy!

At least Todd and I were working!

My redheaded 3-year old toolman.

As many of you know, I have never been able to use my fireplace at the cabin because the chimney was actually roofed over. The contractor who built the cabin never finished the job, and when I looked up the flue I could see the bottom of the metal roof. Last year I contacted the seller to see if he would have it repaired. He said he would, but after a year nothing had been done. I didn't want to go another fall and winter without a fireplace, so I decided to take care of it myself. A few weeks ago my handyman, Larry Bauer, took his helper and their wives up to the cabin to complete the job and construct the chimney. When the job was completed I sent the seller Larry's bill, not really expecting to hear back. But to my surprise his wife called and said she was putting a check in the mail. She added that they had both been ill and had never been able to find the right person to do the job, and they were glad that I had taken care of it. Later that week I received a check for the full amount. Praise God!

It was nice to build my first fire in the fireplace. It was a small fire and really only burned for a few minutes before I let it die out. It wasn't even cold outside, but I had waited long enough to use that fireplace. Even though my first fire was short-lived, the smoky fragrance lingered for days, making my cabin smell like a real log cabin should.

On Tuesday I drove down to eat lunch at the Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge. There was no meatloaf (my FAVORITE menu item) this time, and the view was thick with fog or clouds, whatever you want to call it. Oh well, it was still fun. I drove on down to the outlet mall in Dawsonville, then took the scenic route of 19/129 back to Blairsville. The winding mountain roads take you through beautiful country, but they can make you dizzy and give you a headache if you don't take your time.

A pumpkin farm near Amicalola Falls State Park.

Meeks Park in Blairsville.

Along Hwy 515 between Blairsville and my cabin. Doesn't this remind you of the opening credits of The Color Purple?

Love this blurry shot of Taylor!

Country roads take me home . . . .

I decided to end my trip early in order to save my personal days for another trip. Although this year's fall vacation was shorter than usual, it was still very sweet. I drove back to Plant City on Wednesday. It was rainy the whole day, but my only traffic delay was the morning rush hour north of Atlanta. I arrived safely, grateful for my mountain home away from home and for traveling mercies once again.

Fry Fotography

2007-10-13T09:52:00.000-04:00

Fry Fotography is open for business! The woman behind the lens is my first cousin Kendra Fry AKA DeeDah. She took the amazing pictures of Nathan featured on a couple of my earlier posts, and now she has used one of the shots from that collection on her business card. Thanks DeeDah! You're sure to get lots of business with that sweet face.

To see some of Kendra's work, click the links below:

My Nephew, the Model

The Rest of the Shoot

(Click Below to Enlarge)

Hinson Family Reunion

2007-10-06T20:38:00.001-04:00

The Hinson Siblings

Standing L: Evelyn (My mama)
Back Row L to R: Aunt Doris, Aunt Dorothy, Aunt Peggy
Standing R: Uncle Alton
Front Row L to R: Aunt Mary Lou, Uncle Talmadge, Aunt Sharon (April's mama)

Today we had a small Hinson family reunion at Medard Park on Turkey Creek Road. All of the living Hinson siblings were there as well as several of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The other sibling, Uncle Earl, is in Heaven. The reunion was originally scheduled for 2:00, but they decided to move it up to 11:30 because of the rain forecast.

It was great to see everyone again. I thought I was having a vision when I saw a green minivan pulling into the picnic area. I thought, that looks just like Todd and Carla's van, you know the one I always ran to in the past so I could see Nathan. And as it turned out, it WAS Todd and Carla's van, except now it belongs to my cousins Heather and Timothy Rodriguez, who by the way have three of the cutest babies around.

The food was amazing as always, my Mama's chicken and dumplings most of all. Unfortunately, the rain did come and brought the reunion to an end about the time we finished eating. It was a brief gathering, but we spent a nice time together. A special thank-you to the organizers, especially my first cousin Judy Burkett who publishes and updates the family directory and has kept the Hinson family together through the years.

April & Me

April & Aunt Sharon

The Rodriguez Kids
JerriLynn, Joslyn, Javin

A Happy Birthday Indeed!

2007-10-04T06:58:00.000-04:00

I remember as a kid when it used to be all about the presents. Maybe it still is. But now my gifts come wrapped in emails, phone calls, dinner plates, envelopes, and of course T-shirts and dirty sneakers.

I was moved to tears several times over the past twenty-four hours by all the love that was sent my way. I guess the love started when Susan Stephens, one of my teaching colleagues, brought me a vase with two dozen roses during my sixth period class on Tuesday. Then Mama fixed spaghetti (mmm-mmm-mmm) for my birthday dinner. She invited Uncle Olan and Aunt Mary Lou because it was their anniversary that day. Sorry, April and John, wish you could have been there! I got a beautiful card and cash from Mama and Daddy, too!

Yesterday morning Nathan called me from Jamaica to wish me a happy birthday and asked me if my card had arrived. Sadly, it hadn't, even though they mailed it last week.

I got a couple of electronic birthday cards from Carla and my Oklahoma colleague Pam Blevins when I checked my morning email.

When I got to school, there were birthday greetings everywhere. Codie, one of my students from last year, caught me just as I was headed for the bathroom and gave me a homemade card and a hug. He wrote how he had some great teachers this year, but that I was the best, and how I had helped him so much last year. The tears started then, as they are now. Knowing that you have made a difference in the life of a child is better than a paycheck!

Former students were in and out of my classroom all day writing messages on my boards and bringing me cards and hugs. I walked up to the office later in the day while my class was having guidance. It happened to be during seventh and eighth grade lunch. As I was headed back to my room, a herd of former students came charging down the hallway and attacked me on all sides. The teacher on hall duty almost panicked.

I stopped by Mary Roberts' class for something and her class sang Happy Birthday hillbilly style. Later, during lunch I enjoyed Mary's traditional mojo pulled pork. My partner, Vickie Gunn, made me a homemade carrot cake that was divine. The girls on my team know how to put on a party!

Dianne Pippin called me in the middle of class to wish me happy birthday and told me that I was the single most influential person in her life. She brought me to tears in front of all the kids, but they were happy tears.

When I got home I had a phone message from Jimearl, now Bishop Jim Swilley, who was my college roommate. Our birthdays are exactly six months apart to the day, and we always touch base at least twice a year.

Mama also left me a sweet message about the day 49 years ago when they placed me in her arms after 24-hours of labor.

I checked the mail, and there was my annual card from Lesa Yates. Our birthdays are close together. She always sends me a card, and I never send her one. Well, I did one time to thank her . . .

But the best part is that Nathan's card arrived, too! Can you believe my amazing nephew who just started first grade is already writing in cursive. Carla's note attached said , "He wanted to do your card in cursive 'with letters that connect.' And he decorated it with a rainbow and 'colorful sticks.'" Thank you, sweet boy! You know Uncle Howie loves you the MOST!

Finally, my thanks to DeeDah, April, Carla, Sherry, and Rhoda, my regular readers, for all of your sweet comments left online. I love you girls!

Today I counted my blessings once again. I remain a blessed man indeed!

He's Been Faithful for 49 Years!

2007-10-03T06:52:00.001-04:00

Forty-nine years ago today I made my debut on Planet Earth. Like everyone, I've had my share of dangers, toils and snares, but I am a grateful man. Although I often complain, I count my blessings. God's been good to me, and Jesus has never failed.

He's Been Faithful

Words and Music by Carol Cymbala
©1989 Word Music

In my moments of fear
Through every pain, every tear
There's a God who's been faithful to me
When my strength was all gone
When my heart had no song
Still in love He's proved faithful to me
Every word He's promised is true
What I thought was impossible
I see my God do.

When my heart looked away
The many times I could not pray
Still my God, He was faithful to me
The days I spent so selfishly
Reaching out for what pleased me
Even then God was faithful to me
Every time I come back to Him
He's waiting with open arms and I see once again

He's been faithful, faithful to me
Looking back, His love and mercy I see
Though in my heart, I have questioned
Even failed to believe
Yet He's been faithful, faithful to me.

Sherry & April

2007-10-02T21:08:00.000-04:00

Okay, Sherry, since you mentioned in your comment that you remember when you first met April, I thought I would provide a picture from my archives to document the memory. This is Sherry Bethune and April Noble at the Pleasant Grove 4th of July Picnic, 1980. April, you'll have to provide the story of your injury that day . . . .

Happy Birthday, April and Hailey!

2007-09-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

She's my first cousin (our mothers are sisters) and my second cousin (our fathers are first cousins), but she's more like a sister to me. She's a confidante, defender, fashion icon, spiritual advisor, comedienne, and best friend all rolled into one. She's wise, intuitive, and knock-down gorgeous. There's no one like her in the world. She loves me deeply, and I don't know what I would do without her. My regular readers know who she is, and today is her special day.

Let's make it all about you today, April! You know I love you, girl!

April's daughter, Hailey, celebrates her birthday on Saturday. Happy birthday, Pussycat!

Okay, I confess, beauty runs in our family . . . .

Nathan and Hailey

2007-09-21T20:46:00.002-04:00

August 2007

When the Hoods came through Florida on their way back to Jamaica last August, I took this picture of Nathan and his cousin Hailey, April's youngest daughter, by the aquarium at Joto's. It reminded me of some pictures I had taken of them six years earlier.

July 2001

Earlier, when I was planning what I would write in this post and thinking about these pictures, something triggered my memory. When I checked out the pictures, I was right. Some things never change.

Halloween 2006

If you still don't know what I'm talking about, check out Hailey's head in the last two pictures. Once a Pussycat, always a Pussycat.

Here's another shot I found of Nathan and Hailey at his first birthday party at Alderman's Ford.

July 2002

First Day of School for My Little Jamaican

2007-09-12T06:34:00.000-04:00

Nathan started first grade Monday at Montego Bay Christian Academy. I talked to him Monday afternoon and he seems happy to be back in the classroom, or at least with children his own age. Of course Nathan has always loved school.

Uncle Howie was concerned at first when he saw the cubicle, but after a chat with Carla, I think it's going to be okay. Carla said they call the cubicles offices, and the children turn their chairs around during instruction. I just didn't want Nathan to be stuck in a box writing in workbooks and raising a flag when he needed help.

I was also concerned about Nathan being prepared for FCAT when Todd and Carla return to Florida on furlough. Nathan will be in third grade. Carla assured me that she will teach him the Sunshine State Standards so he won't be behind. I'm sure Nathan will have many wonderful experiences in a Jamaican school that American kids will miss, and those experiences won't be tested on the almighty FCAT!

Carla and I were reminiscing a bit about our days at Asuncion Christian Academy when we were missionary kids in Paraguay. I hope Nathan grows to love MBCA like we loved ACA.

Check out my nephew in that cute uniform! I wish students at Tomlin wore uniforms.

Do good, Nathan!

Year 28

2007-08-20T06:27:00.000-04:00

Today I start my twenty-eighth year of teaching, minus two years of leave. It's hard to believe. I taught nine years at McDonald Elementary in Seffner, Florida, then six years at Lincoln Sixth Grade Center in Plant City, and I have been at Tomlin Middle School since 1995.

Tomlin is a great place to work. We have hard-working administrators, and although I don't agree with every decision they make, I know that they truly care about our school. I respect the load they carry and the work they do, and I'm really glad I don't have to do it. My colleagues are the best people in the world to work with, especially the teachers on my team. They are dedicated to their profession and have a heart for teaching kids. And of course our students past and present make our vocation the most rewarding in the world. Don't believe what you hear on the news and through the rumor mill. Most of our children are truly angels in disguise.

Teaching is one of the great joys of my life. It is my gifting and calling. It is what I do and who I am. I love kids, and the best part of the school day is when I'm standing at the board or seated in my rocker in the the reading corner with my students gathered around. I want my students to become passionate readers of whatever genre they enjoy and lifelong learners and lovers of knowledge. I want them to learn about grace, and empathy, and diversity, and acceptance so they will become contributing citizens of the world.

Everything in public education is not wonderful. I don't love bureaucracy, No Child Left Behind legislation, added work days and hours, educational "reform," the ever-increasing paperwork, grouping and tracking students, and of course the FCAT and the multitude of tests and assessments that nebulous committees dream up for us to administer. But the negative issues in education are for another post. Today I remember why I do what I do, and that's what really matters.

I'm going to get up, shower, and get dressed. Then I'll grab my backpack and throw it in the car. And on the way to school I'll call Mama and Daddy for our traditional first day of school prayer. I'll enter my classroom feeling blessed to be a member of the greatest profession in the world, and I'll confidently await my new crop of angels.

How can one man be so blessed?

Nathan and Family Are Safe

2007-08-19T15:04:00.000-04:00

A word of thanks to all the people who are concerned about Todd, Carla, and Nathan being in Jamaica with Hurricane Dean headed right toward them. They are not in Jamaica. They are safe and sound in Plant City. If you read the previous post, you will remember that they came home last weekend for a missions retreat in Texas. They returned to Florida last Friday night. They were scheduled to return to Jamaica on Monday, but of course the airports are shut down. Their return flight has been rescheduled for Wednesday, but Carla doubts the airports will be open even then. I'm not complaining. It has been great to have the Hoods home for a while. We've been eating out a lot, and Nathan and I went to see Underdog yesterday. He has also been enjoying time to play with his cousin Jacob and friend Seth. Carla plans to bring him out to visit me at school one day this week like she used to do two years ago before Nathan started school himself.

Thanks again to everyone who has been concerned for my family's safety. And yes, Rhoda, I am still painting.

Short, But Sweet!

2007-08-14T07:23:00.001-04:00

To make a long story short, the Hoods missed their connection to Tampa in Miami because they had to go through customs. This type of thing is typical with air travel today. So they did not arrive in Tampa at 7:00 PM; they arrived at midnight. DeeDee, Grandaddy, and I went to Outback without them, then met four hours later to head for the airport. It must have been karma from when Carla and Todd picked me up at midnight in Orlando last summer when the Holocaust trip was aborted due to the Israeli conflict with Lebanon.

We parked and met them in the terminal. Airport parking is free for the first hour. Todd was carrying Nathan when they got off the shuttle, and I thought Nathan was asleep, but then he turned around and got down. I was the first one to get a great big hug and kiss! I told him I wasn't gonna let him go. It was great to have him back in my arms again. Todd and Carla took DeeDee and Grandaddy's car to get some things from their barn, so they and Nathan rode with me back to their house. I gave Nathan the picture of us in a frame that he wanted, a Bridge to Terabithia book (because he loved the movie), a Buzz Lightyear DVD, and some cross pendants from Israel for his jewelry collection. I didn't get home and in bed until almost 2:00 AM.

I met Todd, Carla, Nathan, and Todd's parents for breakfast at Fred's Market Restaurant. Nathan was there in body, but he didn't want to be. He did not eat breakfast and was lying down on three seats the whole time. But it was good to see him again.

I had to report to school, and April took my whole family to the airport. They flew to Dallas for a missions conference this week. I called Daddy as I was walking to my car after school, and they had just arrived at the resort where the conference is held. They return this Friday night, and we will have Saturday and Sunday together before the Hoods fly back to Jamaica on Monday. Nathan and I have already made some plans to be together.

The Bad News: Still Painting! . . . The Good News: NATHAN IS COMING HOME!

2007-08-12T08:04:00.001-04:00

I painted all day yesterday, and the kitchen/dining area is basically done. It looks great! I'm very pleased with the way it is turning out. So why did it take so long to complete one average room? It's not the painting. In fact, the walls take the shortest time to roll, but the edging and trim take FOREVER!

Not only that, it's the other precious tasks that go along with the painting such as having to take down the kitchen window blinds, remove the brackets so I can get complete paint coverage, re-caulk the kitchen window, put the blinds in the bathtub to wash away 19 years of dust, Windex the windows and window frame, re-install the blinds brackets, and finally re-hang the blinds.

On to the refrigerator! I had to "roll" the refrigerator out, all the while dreading what I would find behind it, vacuum and scrub the tiles behind the frig, scrape old caulk from the last time the house was painted between the floor and trim, and try to remove green oxidation that I assume dripped from copper tubing under the refrigerator (it didn't come up).

For the rest of the kitchen/dining area I had to take pictures off the wall, remove all the light switch plates and electrical outlet face plates, take down my antique fire extinguisher, take down a dusty shelf and the dusty kitsch on it, tape EVERYTHING so I could edge and paint the walls, remove the tape and re-tape so I could do the trim, remove the trim tape, re-hang the pictures, return the switch plates and face plates, re-hang the fire extinguisher, dust the shelf and kitsch, re-hang the shelf, rearrange the kitsch, touch-up where the tape ripped off the paint, scrape paint off the tile by the trim, and . . . you get the picture! Surprisingly, one of the easiest jobs was edging between the walls and the lovely popcorn ceiling. It was almost fun, but not quite. They say popcorn ceilings cover a multitude of sins, but I say popcorn ceilings are a SIN!

Today I am looking forward to painting the laundry closet. NOT! That involves moving out the washer and dryer, taking down a shelf and everything on it, and scrubbing more tile. Intercede for me please! Honestly, it sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but I'm just taking it in stride. What gets done, gets done, and what doesn't can wait until tomorrow. I'm really glad I decided to paint. It's going to make my house look so much better when it's done.

Now on to the BEST news! Nathan (and Todd and Carla) are coming through Tampa tonight on their way to a missions conference in Texas. Mama and Daddy will be going with them when they fly out tomorrow morning. They return next weekend, and we will have a couple of days together before they head back to Jamaica. It goes without saying that I am so looking forward to seeing my nephew and spending some time together, and most of all getting some SUGAR! The best in the world!

I'm Painting My House (Inside)

2007-08-07T07:48:00.000-04:00

I spent the better part of yesterday picking out interior paint. I'm tired of looking at these beige, scuffed walls. I'm using KILZ one-coat guarantee paint from Wal-Mart. The living room, kitchen, hall, guest bedroom, and office will be Dulce De Leche (tan), the master bath, Wetlands (mossy green), the hall bath Canary (yes, it's yeller!), with Autumn Breeze (cream) trim throughout. Who comes up with these color names?

Plant City Wal-Mart did not have enough base paint on hand to mix my colors, so I had to run to North Lakeland last evening. After I ate supper, I got started on the hall bath because it was a small space. First, I removed the old caulking in the crack between the wall and the vanity. The caulking removal tool worked okay. Then, I ran a bead of caulk and used the smoothing tool along the crack. Now that little gadget worked great! You've never seen a more straight, smooth, and uniform caulk job. It was almost fun. I guess I didn't realize how much trim and edging and how many tight spaces there were in that little bathroom, but in the process I learned that blue tape works better than the edging tool for if you want clean lines. All in all, the painting went pretty fast. The paint is thick, so there are few drips, and true to its claim the KILZ paint gives great coverage.

I'm going to start on the master bath this morning, then attack the rest of the house. I've got three full days to finish the job before I have to report for work on Friday. Yes, Friday! Just one more great decision by the Hillsborough District School Board. But that's another topic for another time. I need to get off this computer and get busy. I'll try to post pictures later.

The Rest of the Shoot

2007-08-05T10:54:00.000-04:00

My Nephew, the Model

2007-08-03T21:29:00.001-04:00

The week before Nathan went to Jamaica, while I was in Wyoming, my cousin Kendra took Nathan out for a photo shoot with her daughters and Nathan's cousins Kelsey and Emily. She needed some shots of a redhead for her portfolio, and who better for the job than the cutest redhead I know.

Kendra is an amateur photographer who is well on her way to becoming a professional. She has studied photography for many years, and her pictures have continued to improve over time. I have taken some great pictures of Nathan myself, but none compare to the photos from this session. These photos have great composition, clarity, and of course subject matter. What surprised me the most is how well Nathan took direction for the poses. I don't know what Kendra promised him. He usually ducks or turns the other way if he catches me trying to snap a candid shot.

I could see these pictures in a model's portfolio, so I stayed up late one night and designed one on Snapfish. DeeDee and I both ordered copies, and they arrived within a few days. They look so professional. I know you may never get to see the real books, but you can click here and see the next best thing. If there are any modeling agents out there who want to sign Nathan to a multi-million dollar contract, get in touch with me. I'm his agent.

You did a great job, DeeDah (Kendra)!

Eyes Wide Open

2007-08-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm working on a couple of new blogs. The first blog, Eyes Wide Open, is up and running. The second blog, Clips, Notes & Quotes, is still under development. More about that one when I get it going.

When I started Nathan's Uncle I knew I would eventually discuss books, music, and movies, and I thought I would include those postings here. Last night I decided I wanted a separate forum for that subject matter, so I initiated Eyes Wide Open at WordPress. Eyes Wide Open will focus not only on the arts and media, but also on the issues they raise. Be advised that there will be discussion of controversial subjects, and you may beg to differ with some of the opinions posted by other readers and myself. That is okay. We can learn through the process of agreeing to disagree. I invite you to post your comments to the site, as well.

Today's post on Eyes Wide Open focuses on Sicko, Michael Moore's newest documentary about the healthcare crisis in America. With their permission, I have included an email conversation between my cousins April and Doyle. As you will see, they have a lot to say.

Ode to An Angel

2007-07-30T18:23:00.000-04:00

You came for a while, but you couldn't stay
We never imagined it would be that way

We had plans, we had dreams
But they will have to wait, it seems

We felt grief, and loss, and utter devastation
But in that upper room we had a Holy Ghost visitation

We were in a daze, confused, we didn't know what to do
But that was before the Wonderful Counselor came through

The Great Physician signed your medical release
Bringing clarity, victory, and perfect peace

So gently you came, like a breath of fresh air
We cherished our time together, so precious, so rare

You were perfectly formed, the answer to our prayer
We hope you sensed nothing but tender loving care

Tiny fingers, tiny feet
Touches so tender, sugar so sweet

We held you in our hands, and sang a love song
The one that says, Little ones to Jesus belong

You gave us sugar, just like your brother
It was sweet as could be, like no other

Your family and friends kissed your little head
Then we gave you to Mommy, so she could put you to bed

You were ours to hold, only for a while
We will always remember your face with a smile

Your stay was so short, we were tempted to ask why
But all of that vanished when the Comforter stopped by

Your mommy has courage, she gave you her name
Your daddy has strength, he did the same

You have a big brother, named Nathan you see
And you're his little sister, the newest bud on our family tree

Our daughter, our sister, granddaughter, and niece
Our memories won't fade, our love will not cease

The time that we shared didn't last very long
But you are flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone

It's hard to say goodbye, we weep, we cry
But we'll soon be together in the sweet by and by

Though we never got to see you tumble and twirl
We still thank Heaven for our little girl

We love you and miss you, little Angel Ruth Hood
But still we can say, God is great, God is good

How could we give God our baby, yet trust?
Had we forgotten He gave His Baby to us?

He chose not to answer the way that we prayed
But our dreams have not died, they've just been delayed

For a while we're apart, but our hearts will always be
Intricately woven together . . . forever . . . for eternity

—For My Baby Girl, Angel
Love, Uncle Howie
August 1, 2002

Always My Angel

2007-07-29T03:31:00.000-04:00

Five years ago today was the saddest, yet sweetest day of my life. On that day Nathan's sister Angel Ruth was born, and then went back to Heaven like a wisp of smoke.

Although we think of her frequently, each year our family visits Angel's gravesite on her birthday. I always take a pink rose. This will be the first year Todd, Carla, and Nathan won't be there because they are in Jamaica, but DeeDee, Grandaddy, and I will go and remember our little girl.

We often wonder what might have been had Angel lived. DeeDee always wonders if she would have had red hair like Nathan. She would be five this year and getting ready to start kindergarten.

Shortly before Angel was born I was traveling out West doing a loop of the national parks and got a premonition of sorts. I believe we were somewhere in Utah on one of the nights where we camped out under the stars. I was arranging my sleeping bag and mattress, getting ready to bed down for the night, when these words ran through my head, "What might have been was never meant to be . . . ." At the time I didn't know how they would apply to my life, but I would need those words just a few weeks later, and I have remembered them often over the years.

I love you, my Angel . . .

Uncle Howie

Happy Anniversary, Todd & Carla!

2007-07-28T09:56:00.000-04:00

Seven years ago today my only sister married my best friend. It was a Holy Ghost wedding not to be missed. It came close to being the first time a whole wedding party was collectively slain in the Spirit. Of all days for me to be sick . . . . I can honestly say it was the ugliest singing I have ever done. If I wasn't admitting it here, the videotape would easily be blackmail material.

So here's the short version of Todd & Carla's story from my perspective . . . .

Once upon a time Howie was a worship leader at a country church. His sister, Carla, sang on the worship team. Then one day a young man named Todd walked into the church because he was desperately searching for God. Todd was under conviction and actually got saved later at a great-uncle's funeral. Howie and Carla were related to Uncle Lovic on the Blount side of the family, and Todd was related to Uncle Lovic on the Porter side of the family. Although they shared the same cousins, Todd and Carla and Howie were not related to each other and did not know each other. As Howie was leaving the funeral, he passed Todd's truck. Todd said, "Hi," and Howie said, "Hi," back.

Todd started attending church regularly. He and Howie and Carla ultimately became close friends. Their lives revolved around the church. They attended lots of revivals and camp meetings together, sang together in the choir, and went out to eat a LOT! They were basically the Three Musketeers and did everything together.

Then, Carla got a secret crush on Todd, but Todd had no interest in Carla. This continued for a few years. Carla would go to the altar after church and squall a lot. Todd was oblivious. But one day it all changed. God opened Todd's eyes and his feelings changed and he ended up proposing to Carla at the end of church one Sunday morning in front of God and everybody. Everyone was so happy for them, except Howie. Howie wasn't so sure how he felt about it. Eventually, Howie grew to accept the situation and everything was cool. At the time Howie did not know how Todd and Carla getting married would bring him the best gift of his life.

Todd and Carla got married on July 28, 2000. Things were good, but they were about to get a whole lot better, because a year later on July 18, 2001, Todd and Carla made Howie . . . NATHAN'S UNCLE!

Nathan's entry into the world completely reconfigured Uncle Howie's focus. Nathan became the center of the universe, and Uncle Howie's world basically revolved around him. Everything was going just fine until Todd decided to throw a monkey wrench into the mix. One late evening, after a night of fun at the Strawberry Festival, the Three Musketeers got into the truck to head home. It was then that Todd broke the news to Uncle Howie that God had called him to be a missionary to Jamaica. Uncle Howie thought his world was going to fall apart and accused Todd of taking his precious nephew away from him.

It would be a few years before the Jamaica calling would be fulfilled, and although it was hard, Uncle Howie finally accepted that Nathan would be going away. Uncle Howie entrusted Nathan to God's care and Todd and Carla's very capable hands. Todd, Carla, and Nathan left for Jamaica on July 2, 2007, and although it has been an adjustment for everyone, they are getting used to it and looking forward to what God has in store for the next chapter of their lives.

One major event not included in the story will be told in tomorrow's post.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, TODD & CARLA! UNCLE HOWIE LOVES YOU!

God Bless America, and Israel Too!

2007-07-25T03:56:00.000-04:00

I arrived home from Israel last Sunday after a loooooong journey home. Our last day in Israel and flight home lasted almost 36 hours for me, and even longer for others. I don't know if I have ever been so glad to be home. I've often been critical of Plant City and Florida in general, but I think I've decided there is no place better than home. God Bless America!

This summer has been a busy one. I left for three weeks at my cabin in the North Georgia Mountains the day after school let out. I returned home for a week before I went to Wyoming for a week. Then, I was home for a week spent primarily with Nathan before the Hoods left for Jamaica. After another week I left for two weeks in Israel. Now, I hope to spend the last three weeks before school starts at HOME. Enough of the word "week!"

Now on to Israel . . . .

Let me begin by saying how blessed I am to have been able to visit Israel in the first place. Last year we were all disappointed when we didn't get to complete our Holocaust journey, but now I believe it worked out for the best. We got to travel overseas for two summers instead of one; we were able to reunite with our colleagues without having to spend extra time getting to know each other; two shorter trips are less stressful than one long trip; we got to meet new people from the 2007 group (although 2006 still rules!); and we actually stayed in Nahariya where the the Lebanese rockets were falling last year and traveled through the part of Northern Israel that was hit the hardest in the conflict.

I will not give a day-by-day, play-by-play travelogue of our activities in Israel in this posting, but rather comment on my observations during our journey. Fellow traveler, Liz Moreno, shares a more detailed account of our trip in her blog for the Victoria Advocate. Thanks, Liz!

Israel is a nation of contrasts: the historical Holy Land and the new nation of Israel on one small plot of earth along the eastern Mediterranean. The day we arrived in Israel, the tour bus dropped us off at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem to "find lunch." Thanks so much, Moshe! I was hoping to discover a nice Jewish deli for a stacked pastrami sandwich, but instead I found shouting vendors, hanging carcasses, buzzing flies, piles of garbage, and assorted unrecognizable smells to assault the senses. Talk about major flashbacks to childhood visits to the Abastos Market in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Pettirossi Market in Asuncion, Paraguay! When I realized I was not in New York and that there was no deli to be found, I settled for a safe lunch of Diet Coke and a pre-packaged round of soft cheese triangles.

The modern nation of Israel was not what I expected. I have heard so often about the strength, discipline, and no-nonsense zero-tolerance approach of the Israeli military. And after passing through the many stages of airport security, including a personal interview with an airline representative, I understood why EL AL has the reputation of being the safest airline in the world. I guess when I arrived I expected to find a sharp, clean, well-organized, 60-year old baby country with the national pride and strength of immigrants from around the world, but instead I discovered that Israel is still very much a developing nation. Newer buildings in Jerusalem legally must be constructed with Jerusalem limestone to match the historical city, but older buildings have fallen into disrepair, many newer buildings seem to have been abandoned half-finished, and litterbugs abound. I learned that 50% of Israel's annual budget is earmarked for defense, as well it should be, and that leaves little for urban development. It would be nice, however, to see a bit more funding for sanitation and beautification.

The history in Israel is unsurpassed. Walking in the steps of Jesus and the patriarchs of the Old Testament and visiting the places I learned about in Sunday School was moving and memorable indeed. Many of the historical sites we visited such as towns, mountains, rivers, valleys, gates, and structures were the undisputed actual locations mentioned in scripture. Other sites were more dubious. We often heard statements from our tour guide such as, "This is traditionally believed to be the Upper Room and location of the Last Supper," which meant it probably wasn't the actual location at all. The Catholic Church of the Holy Sepulchre is supposedly situated over the sites of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, the Stone of the Unction, where his body was prepared for burial, and the Tomb, where Jesus was buried and resurrected. These sites are only steps away from each other and all located inside the same church. Authentic? I don't think so. Protestants don't fare much better by favoring Gordon's Calvary and the Garden Tomb as the actual locations. There remains little or no proof of the actual sites of the Passion.

My biggest problem with Christianity in Israel is that they have built churches on top of virtually every historical site connected to Jesus. The first such church we visited was The Church of All Nations located in the Garden of Gethsemane and built directly over the supposed rock where Jesus prayed while his disciples slept. Although this was the first of many such churches we would visit, and I had not yet drawn my current conclusion, I must say that this was the site where I and many others were moved to tears. I was reminded of Tim Sheppard's "Could You Not Tarry With Me?"

The worst example of religious construction we visited was at Capernaeum where a Franciscan church that looks like a huge flying saucer has been built directly on top of the "traditional site" of Simon Peter's house. You can't even get a clear view of the archaeological ruins because this massive modern structure seems to be coming in for a landing! Give me a break, people! Wouldn't it be nice to actually SEE a natural historical site without having to imagine how it would look without a modern edifice swallowing it whole? Reflecting back, I am convinced that what matters most is not that we know the exact locations where Jesus died and rose again, nor that we build massive monuments at the site, but rather knowing that he did what he said. I know my Redeemer lives!

It would have been nice to write this blog on location while in Israel, but it was not to be. Online computer access was too expensive for my wallet in the hotels where we stayed, and there were virtually no internet cafes to be found. This from the country that supposedly invented or developed so much computer technology. So who really invented the internet? Israel or Al Gore? I remember having computer access everywhere for free when my family visited Paraguay (in my opinion the most underrated yet best of the Latin American countries) back in 2001. There were several free computer stations at the mall in Asunción and even three free computers at McDonalds in Encarnación, way down in Southern Paraguay. I don't know. It's a mystery to me. Go figure.

Our first Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath and true Seventh Day, in Israel was an adjustment. When we arrived back at the Renaissance Hotel in Jerusalem the first Friday evening, we found it packed with orthodox Jewish families who had come to the hotel to escape work for 24-hours. I wondered why the hotel employees were working. I guess they didn't celebrate Shabbat. Several of the elevators were set on automatic because it is unlawful to press a button during Shabbat. The way it works is you hop on the elevator and hope it stops at your floor either on the way up or on the way down. The reason, as I understood it, was to not expend unnecessary energy. I wish someone had notified the children who were running everywhere on the stairs, up the elevators, and in the halls. Later I learned that it is also unlawful to tear toilet paper or flush toilets during Shabbat. Let's take a moment and focus on that lovely picture.

Now I was raised in an ultra-conservative, white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, Pentecostal, Holiness (you get the picture) home and church. That is until God changed his mind somewhere in the 70s when most of the these man-made rules and regulations faded away. Many of the rules I remember were clothesline religion and focused primarily on the women. No haircutting, no makeup, no jewelry, no pants, and such. Some women didn't shave their legs either. Nothing assaults the eyes quite like the sight of matted hairy legs in stockings. The rules that affected me the most were no TV, no movies, no dancing, no mixed bathing (which meant swimming, not actual bathing), and no swimming on Sundays, to mention a few. At the time and even now looking back I know how ridiculous those rules were. But even then, as strict as it was, I was never, I repeat never, told not to tear toilet paper or flush a toilet. I know Shabbat is a sacred time of rest for Jewish families, and I truly respect cultural diversity, but in Israel I learned that there was more to the observance than eating and lighting Sabbath candles.

I don't want to leave the impression that the Israel experience was an overwhelming challenge. It was not. The benefits far outweighed the inconveniences. Even now as I write, I envision the warm waters of the Mediterranean lapping the sandy shore as we strolled along the Nahariya boardwalk in the evening breeze. While driving through the many verdant fields and vineyards in the irrigated valleys I saw the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy that the desert would bloom like a rose. I feel the upper waterfall crashing over my shoulders at the Ein Gedi oasis. And, too, I see the setting sun reflected on the glowing walls of the ancient city of Jerusalem.

This trip was not a church-sponsored Christian tour of the Holy Land. It was a summer seminar for teachers in Holocaust education. The visits to the historical sites were merely an added benefit. Our goal was to see how the modern nation of Israel became a home for the Jews of the Diaspora after the horrors of the Holocaust. Our studies at Yad Vashem and the Ghetto Fighters' House were invaluable experiences for all of us as teachers. We heard informative lectures, toured museums, listened to first-hand testimonies of survivors of the Shoah, and shared with each other from our collective wealth of knowledge. Thanks to the vision of Vladka Meed, the leadership of Elaine Culbertson, the generosity of the Jewish Labor Committee, as well as many additional donors and agencies, we were given the gift of a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience to share with our students.

I, for one, am grateful and blessed.

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to find the Corrie Ten Boom tree in the Avenue of the Righteous of the Nations at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. I did find it, and here's the proof.

In closing, I leave you these scriptures . . .

Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6: 3-5 (NKJV)

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]! May peace be within your walls and prosperity within your palaces! For my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, Peace be within you! For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek, inquire for, and require your good.

Psalm 122: 6-9 (AMP)

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry . . . . But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

Romans 11: 13, 17, 18 (NASB)

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 4: 6 (KJV)

Israel

2007-07-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow morning I leave for two weeks in Israel. This is a continuation of the Holocaust & Jewish Resistance Teachers Summer Seminar, an educational program sponsored by the Jewish Labor Committee, that was aborted last year when the conflict broke out between Lebanon and Israel. Some of you may remember that I went to Poland for one week last summer, but did not get to complete the two weeks in Israel. JLC has worked it out so that the 2006 group of teachers can meet the 2007 group in Israel to complete the second section of our journey. I look forward to seeing some of the wonderful people I met last year once again. In retrospect, the disappointment I felt last summer has actually turned to joy this year. I am also excited about visiting the Holy Land, walking where Jesus walked, and visiting the Ten Boom family tree planted when they were named Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem for their roles as rescuers of Dutch Jews during the Holocaust.

I got to talk to Nathan today. He is adjusting very well to his new home. He enjoyed his first day of summer school and really loves the beach. The move has been a major adjustment for Todd & Carla, but things seem to be falling into place little by little.

Well, I just wanted to make a post before I leave. I need to get to sleep because 3:30 AM will be here before I know it. Shalom!