The Classic IF/Then Statement Applied in Defining LOYALTY

George was almost exiled from our White Sox
family when he became a Cubs 'fan'!

IF devotion is given to someone thoroughly admired for their superior qualities and high achievement, and loyalty is given in spite of continuing shortfalls and disappointment, THEN the Chicago Cubs have not one devoted fan; but plenty of the severely loyal!

Some Odes to My Grandaughter (Bet you didn't know you could pluralate Ode!)

There once was a girl name o' Lily.
Who made herself famously silly!
She danced like an elf,
Even all by herself,
Until Mom said that she was a dilly!

There once was a girl named Rakowski.
Who as-ked her Mom for the house key.
Mom said you should know,

That it's out in the snow,
Way up on the slopes where the cows ski!

And she can take her own picture too!

Lily is always so smiley!
(I think of her ever so highly!)
But more than her smarts,
Or her talent at arts
Is her love for both Danny and Miley!

Sick of Being Sick!

I've been dealing with a heavy bronchitis this week, along with bronchial spasms.  But even worse than that, I dared to tell my Pastor, singing partner and good buddy that I had bronchial spasms.  Naturally, he countermanded his first tendency to have compassion and sympathy for my plight, and promptly called me a Spaz!  If I do manage to make it in to sing with him on the worship team tomorrow, I'll have to be sure to cough on him good!

So much for my credibility to write about love.  But that's what I did today.

I spent the whole day with the laptop on....my lap (yes, I have always had a firm grasp on the obvious) and wrote my first Yahoo Contributor article in 6 months or so.  It is a comparison of 1 Cor 13 and Ann Lander's take on the same subject; Love Is...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8403453/love_ismore_than_just_a_facebook_status.html?cat=72 

Check it out if you like.  Maybe your Facebook page was inundated by the 'Love Is' virus like mine was.

And There I Was A-Whining!

I was bummed to have lost the mysterious follower forty-seven earlier this month.  (I think someone died; what other reason could they have?  At least that's how I tried to comfort myself.)  But since then, somebody else took the 47 slot, and 48 and 49 have filled in as well!!  My Mother was wrong apparently, for my whining seems to have paid off superbly.

So who gets the hallowed 50 cent slot?
(Did I just promise to send 50 cents to my next follower? Uh-oh)

And there's an extra 50 cents for the person who can tell me which state I was in when I photographed this mountain range last winter!

One Year Ago Today Exactly Sort Of

Goodwill hunting.

Just about one year ago, my youngest son Josh left home for Montana.  He and a good friend got on the Amtrak train in Wisconsin, and began the long journey; not just the 50 some hour train ride, but Josh was starting a near 7 month venture with YWAM (Youth With A Mission).  He was taking a DTS (Discipleship Training School) program which culminated with serving in Turkey through December and January.

His Mother and I were left with the much ballyhooed empty nest, syndrome and all.  We struggled a little, adjusted a lot (I had to do ALL of the mowing and shoveling!) and learned to divide the TV's remote control by two instead of by three.

Our youngest was gone.  Josh was moving on and growing, AND going overseas into a possibly hostile/dangerous place.  Easy for him!  He didn't have to comfort his Mom and reassure her through it all!  Finally he came home in April, shortly after his first nephew was born, and then spent most of the summer working with his old man.

Yesterday, we watched as Josh again took his leave from us.  He boarded a plane this time, and besides a short trip home for Christmas, will be gone for nine months at YWAM's school of Biblical studies.  He will be studying through the whole Bible 5 times, each journey with a unique purpose and approach.  And when he returns next summer he will meet his nephew's little brother or sister for the first time!

To the airport!

Considering one year ago and this year, it seems that we are fully engaged in a new cycle:  Josh goes to Montana, Victoria has a baby. Repeat.  Josh goes to Montana, Victoria has a baby.  Repeat?


I just hope Josh didn't pack our remote in his new suitcase!

My Longing

A helicopter found a place to land, and hide, right next to my garage.
I don't know if it was one, two or three years ago, but when I found her,
She was a foot and a half tall.  When I pulled her up the toddler did not object,
But went along, LETTING me transplant her over by the road, in the sun, in her own space.




A nearby tree is 30 feet (twice its years in height), with leaves all deep and green.
It's tall and straight and healthy too, but WAITING still for rain.
In tree years this maple is a teen.  He could play baseball in the hot and dusty empty lot all day,
And then drink his fill later, when he finally must grow up.

The lilac bush has reached her prime.  Yes she blossoms every spring,
But for some reason, my favorite aroma is hardly noticed now.
She seems content with GROWING extra branches that must be trimmed
Away from the sidewalk so I can rush past her perfume to my eager truck.








Right by the deck, the giant old Maple still stands.
Most of him.  The older he gets, and the higher he reaches, the less he cares while his
Body parts fall on my deck and my house and my yard.
He is LONGING to know if he, when the time comes, will be harvested and used for a new glory,

Or fall, and rot away.

LOST: Follower 47

Has anybody seen my recent follower number 47?  He/she is missing from my list of the heretofore 'faithful and the few'.    I seem to be losing the faithful and gaining in the few! What did I do wrong?