Random Dozen - 20100922

Poor Linda over at 2nd Cup of Coffee.  She had a set of questions all ready to do to celebrate the 1st day of Fall, but she misplaced them.  Doh!  So, she has promised that these questions are really, really random!  Enjoy, and you really should go check out her blog.

1. Have you, or has someone close to you, ever won an award for anything?

I have a few trinkets here and there.  Over the years i have come to learn that some are only worth the paper they are printed on, while others only mean something to the recipient/organization that receives/gives it.  I am not sure where the one that means the most to me falls, but the award that means the most to me was the Honorable Order of St. Barbara.  "The Honorable Order of Saint Barbara is awarded to those individuals who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character, displayed an outstanding degree of professional competence, served the Artillery with selflessness; and contributed to the promotion of the Artillery branch."  That is a lot of military-ees for thank you for serving faithfully in the Artillery (perhaps), but the Artillery was by far my favorite time of service, and this award means more to me than all of the ribbons and other awards i earned sans the Humanitarian Service Medal.

2. Who is the nearest relative to you who has served in the US Military?

Myself, actually, but stepping aside i would like to honor my brother.  He studied his butt off to graduate High School a semester early so that he could go off and join the Army Airborne Rangers.  While that did not work out immediately for him (long story), he served on active duty for 15 years, being deployed to combat zones multiple times.  He took a break, but is within 90 days of being eligible to retire from the Army National Guard having re-volunteered (and subsequently redeployed to combat zones) to serve.  His brother has never had to deploy into a "bad area", but he has done it several times.  In the end he achieved his dream of becoming an Airborne Ranger, AND an Air Assault Pathfinder (which to me, the latter is a better thing ).

3. Share something that stirs the patriotic spirit in you.

For me it is things like the Pat Tillman story, the one before the friendly fire incident.  Men and women who set aside their personal goals to serve their country, be it in the Armed Services or even the Uniformed Health Services.  From the earliest onset of this country our history is rife with such examples.  What America is most fondly known for is how she comes to the aide of others.  While we should always try and do that in less than heavy handed methods, it may not always be possible.  In any event... when other people set aside their own ambitions and welfare for others... i find that pretty moving.  Even when

4. Where are you in the birth order in your family? Do you think your "placement" made a difference in your personality?

I have never really studied this.  Growing up my brother and i really didn't live a "normal" childhood, so it is hard to tell, and my sister was born 10 years after i was and we only lived together in brief increments on two different occasions.  So... i am not sure.

5. Name one trait you hope you carry that was evidenced in your parents or grandparents.

Well, my beloved has noticed many that i seem to share with my father... but these are not considered "good" things... so... i would rather not stir up the memories... even if she never reads this post.

6. If female, do you prefer wearing a skirt or pants? If male, shirt and tie or polo?

POLO!  I have a "thick" neck in my opinion and i have never been comfortable wearing a tie.  I will, on occasion, wear one... but they are not my preference.  Polo shirts on the other hand...  i have a closet full of them, as well as a dresser drawer.  I wear them year round, even in the winter time.  If it's cold enough i will wear a t-shirt underneath.  One must dress in layers.

7. Approximately how many times do you wake during the night? What do you do to go back to sleep?

I find that i will wake up usually twice a night, and almost always at least once.  Rarely less than that.  Usually i roll over, get re-situated, and close my eyes.  On the more difficult times i will pray.  If that doesn't work, and it almost always does, i will get a half a juice glass of milk and stretch (picture runner's stretches) my legs some.

8. Share a favorite movie quote.

That really depends on my mood and the situation... but being put on the spot... um...

"When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."  ~ Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China.

9. What is your favorite Fall candle scent?

I absolutely love the smell of a distant fire on a crisp cold evening.  The promise of warmth, the possibility of fellowship with a few friends, maybe a nice meal.  That my idea of a little slice of Heaven.

10. What is one Fall activity you're looking forward to?

Not sure really.  Watching Football is always good.  We have a Saturday planned where several families are going to meet up at one of our houses and spend the day cutting firewood and maybe some chili.  That seems really nice.  My beloved and i will also be celebrating an anniversary.  We won't be doing much just the two of us, but... maybe we can get a nice evening out somewhere in there.

11. Tell us about a pleasant surprise that happened to you recently.

Maybe it's just the late hour and/or the hectic schedule i've been running of late... but i cannot honestly think of anything.  Don't get me wrong... i am blessed with a home, a family and a good job.  We are not in want.  It blends all together, and right now no one thing really jumps off the page of my memory.  Although... my beloved giving her blessing to my upgrading my phone to an Android powered phone was pretty cool.

12. What was it like when you first met your in-laws-to-be?

I still remember meeting my then future father-in-law.  My beloved had brought me home so i could take her to one of her High School reunions.  We came in the front door, and i walked through the kitchen where her father was on the phone.  I was VERY grateful that he was on the phone because he has a presence about him.  Not menacing, but authoritative, if you know what i mean.I was shown into the family room while my beloved went and found her mother.  While i was there alone i had time to compose myself and catch my breath so to speak.  Both my future in-laws were very nice and gracious hosts.

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Aspergers Ramblings and other random thoughts

My youngest son has Aspergers. Anyone who has been reading my blog for more than a week or so probably already knows this. He struggles every day with the basic things. Too often i struggle to help him. I see how and why he is struggling... but i don't know how to communicate and help him adjust. BUT, my beloved is his champion! I am amazed, almost daily, in how she fights for her son. How she is able to communicate and come alongside him and his aides. She has been recognized by our 'advocate' from Marshall University in her efforts as well. I want to encourage anyone who stumbles across this post to seriously consider what you might be able to help further the research that is affecting more than 1:100 of our children here in the United States. Autism in general is misunderstood, but Aspergers is even more so. I've been yelled at by a mother of an Autistic child because i actually stepped in between him and my son when her child pursued mine as i was calling him out of a situation on a playground. "My son's autistic!" she yelled at me. I looked back at her and said, "So is mine". But i also see the parents of "neurotipical" children stare at my son when he rambles on about the latest Psych episode, or stand up comedian - which he is reciting verbatim - to no one in particular. Or when he talks to strangers in some strange voice, or he's flapping his arms while running around. Aspergers has the double jeopardy of having the outward appearance of someone completely "normal", but the inward affect of them not being able to relate on a typical social "norm" (making eye contact, conversing in mutually interesting topics, etc.) Places like Marshall University have been a God send. There needs to be a way for parents and educators to find resources such as Marshall, and utilize them easier and better. As you can tell i like to use pictures to spruce up the ol' blog. And for the most part they are the little round ones like you see above (and probably below). These are pieces of flair of i have either made, or accumulated via the same Facebook app. But sometimes, like when i posted the picture of the Eldar Pathfinder, i really want to make sure i give credit to the original author, painter, photographer. I always try to remember to put at a minimum a hyperlink in the picture (like i did with the button to the right here) to the original source, but what i would really like to do it place a caption beneath it, with another hyperlink. I have found a good way to do if i center the pictures, but not if i have them aligned to the left or right so the text can "wrap" (like i am doing here). I've read a few webpages on some techniques, but most of it i am not getting. Something about tables, etc. I messed around with a few attempts, but so far i've not been able to get it. If anyone knows of a way - please comment/e-mail/message/whatever me so i can learn how to do this. This past Saturday i came home from DD3's soccer game and there was a little snake, about 8 inches long, sitting behind our van in our garage (the door had been closed). I sent my little girl on into the house while i used my leg to push the thing on out into the grass... but the thing didn't flee! It sat there, raised it's head up with the mouth wide open, and the little tail whipping back and forth very very fast. I tried one more time to get it to run away but it was bound and determined to let me know who was boss. I calmly went back into my garage, got my large square tipped shovel, came back out and planted the shovel about two inches down from it's head. The thing kept trying to get out but i made sure i made it into two snakes. Later when i asked a friend who likes to go on hikes etc. they told me that it could be either a Timber Rattlesnake, or a Black Ratsnake. I really trust this guy (he's worked for the park service forever), but the more i read about the two snakes... i am leaning towards the former. But... i will never know for sure. After the snake deal we headed to our friend's house (same person i asked about the snake) and made home made apple cider. YUM! I literally participated in each step of the process. DS2 and i went out and picked a bucket full of apples from their trees, washed them off, cut them into sections, then ran them through a very old hand powered shredding machine, then took a press and slowly compacted the apple pulp to squeeze out all the juice. Our friends got the machine that pulps and presses the apples from the previous owners of the house. One condition of the sale of the house was that they continue the Cider Saturday tradition. This was the first year i was able to make it. Man that made some seriously good apple cider. I just love the Fall!

Music Monday - 20081020

Another week of Fall... Ah! The smell of fireplaces and the sound of football. The explosion of color and the cool crisp air. I absolutely love this time of year. This weekend was a busy one. I was able to get the trenches for the deck support beams finished as well as the cement poured for the posts. I will need to make yet another trip to Lowes, but this time to make a return, and pick up some gravel to put around the beams to help prevent rot. But progress was made! \o/ This morning i got back to the gym for the first time in seventeen days. :/ That too felt good, but there are other things that have my beloved almost wrapped up in knots. :( I am unable to help her see through these trials of late. As I pondered this over the weekend i finally relied that her sense of peace does not come from me ultimately. It comes from our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have been failing her in trying to lead her in my own strength, and not through prayer. :( I will be working on this one... For some time i have pondered my salvation. I mean, i am a fairly intelligent guy (and i don't mean that in a boastful way) and i can recite passages out of the Bible, i can participate in a Bible study. But i still found myself wondering... when the day comes... will i be on the right, or the left. Will i be welcomed into the wedding feast or be left standing on the doorstep where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. God is no respecter of persons. My deeds and abilities are not what determines whether i will be welcomed in. And i struggle with sin. Anger, selfishness, pride. I often fail not only my Lord, but my beloved, my family, my friends, my church. I know my acceptance is not based on my own works, but on what Christ accomplished on the cross. This morning it was nice to run into a local Pastor at the gym, whom i had never met before. We had two brief conversations and he told me that he "knew" i was a believer. I asked him how he "knew", and he said "I'm not sure, maybe it was the Holy Spirit". Now, again, he is not the be all and end all determination of my entrance into heaven, but it was good to hear something like that. Ok, enough about me... my song for this week...

On My Cross FFH How wide is Your love That You would stretch Your arms And go around the world And why for me would a Savior's cry be heard I don't know Why You went where I was meant to go I don't know Why You love me so Those were my nails That was my crown That pierced Your hands and Your brow Those were my thorns Those were my scorns Those were my tears that fell down And just as You said it would be You did it all for me And after You counted the cost You took my shame, my blame On my cross How deep is Your grace That you could see my need And chose to take my place And then for me, these words I'd hear You say Father no Forgive them for they know not what they do I will go Because I love them so Those were my nails that was my crown that pierced your hands and your brow those were my thorns those were my scorns those were my tears that fell down and just as you said it would be you did it all for me and after you counted the cost you took my shame, my blame on my cross those were my nails that was my crown that pierced your hands and your brow those were my thorns those were my scorns those were my tears that feel down and just as u said it would be u did it all for me and after u counted the cost you took my shame my blame on my cross after u counted the cost u took my shame, my blame on my cross

The truth of it all is that this world is fleeting. We can never be 100% certain of anything except in God. Man will fail, friends will fail us, institutions, even organized religion can fail fail us - but in the end God endures. I may fail Him, but He never fails me. Verse for today: Ecclesiastes 3 : 9-15, ESV What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. [1]

October is my favorite month

Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I love the cool, brisk mornings, that give way to the warm breazy afternoons, that then yield to the innevitable cool evenings, and night. I love that the kids are back in school, that it's Football season again, that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner.

October is shaping up to be an even more busy month than I thought possible. :) But we will get through it... and I will be complaining that it is November already. :)

I have a book review coming soon - by Friday I hope. I've been given the opportunity to read and review a book on a topic that is near and dear to my heart - as you all will see when the review comes. :) No more clues than that though. :)

I pray that you all had a blessed weekend.

Verse for today:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, ESV

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, [1] you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children [2] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.