Well, it is now about 9:30, and we are once again home after a long trip to Evansville to lay my mom to rest next to my sister Stephanie.  It really was a beautiful day and a beautiful service, that was conducted by Father Dan Conley and his assistant Chaplain Jimmy Ridgley at the graveside.

There were about 20 of us there, and it was a blessing to see them all.  Some of my family I hadn’t seen in quite some time, and it reminded me of how much I miss them.  My nieces and nephew in particular are great kids, and as I spoke I pointed out how all my mom ever wanted to do was to retire and to spend time with all her grand kids.  It was something she only briefly was able to do.  She would have loved to have been there among them today.

But the blessing for me was to be with them all and my other relatives and know how pleased she would be to be laid to rest next to her oldest daughter.  Both her daughters, Steph and Sarah, are gone and although the last time she had been to that cemetery was for Steph’s funeral, the blessing of having her grave there in such a beautiful place is to know that she too thought it was a beautiful place.  It really could not have worked out better.

But for now I am glad to be home and actually typing while in my bed.  It seems like tomorrow is Sunday, but I will just have to be satisfied with getting to sleep in a little in the morning I guess.  I apologize for the picture, in that it is not one from today, but it is of the stone right after it was set a few days ago.  I just didn’t have the thought in my head to take a picture, and I was the driver for my family so I was unable to get back and take one after the luncheon we shard together.  But my mom would be proud of how it went.

I am just saddened that she didn’t get to live the life she hoped for.  Alzheimer’s, like the cancer that took my sisters, is a rotten thing.  Life however is better for them all now, as I hope it is for our family.  These last 60 days have been a bit much for all of us.  My hope and prayer is that we now have some time to heal and recover……and of course get everything back to just the “normal” that we all just want again.

Home sweet home!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Some people are really blessed, and clearly my wife is one of them.  For today is our anniversary, and to show her a great time, I drove her down to Evansville for my mom’s funeral which will take place tomorrow.  I also was able to buy her and the  boys a nice dinner at the Burger King drive-thru in Washington, Indiana, home of the famous Brooklyn Dodger Gil Hodges…….no girl could ask for more.

Of course, all that certainly was not the original plan.   To be honest, we went to dinner the night before and I gave her her gifts then.  Had I had ANY foresight clearly one of them should have been a gift certificate from the Berger King in Washington, Indiana.  I did consider Dodgers tickets, but I know they no longer play in Brooklyn, not only because my dad is still mad about it, but because he was born and raised there.  And I am pretty sure Mr. Hodges no longer plays……although if he did these days it would most certainly be for the Cubs or the Indians.

Anyway. Happy Anniversary to us!  I do not know how I could ever top this year, but I certainly am going to, next year, give it a try.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

We are always safe, knowing especially that they are there. For this morning I ran into these two in the hallway and was informed that one was “Batman,” while the other was “Squirrel Dog,” and that they had been patrolling the house.

First of all, I questioned how a kid that looked just like my son was Batman, but he directed my attention to those new Batman shoes we bought at the Meijer yesterday.  The whole Squirrel Dog thing was rather obvious, in that he carries that stuffed squirrel (squeakers in tact) everywhere.

But it made me rest easy that is for sure…..but it also made me wonder if I should also continue paying for that alarm service as well.  I think for now I will keep both.  After all, you can never be too careful.

I am just thankful that we are blessed……we are clearly so much safer than most.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

As the regular followers of this blog know, we will be heading down to Evansville on Thursday for the interment of my mom next to my sister Stephanie on Friday at the Oak Hill Cemetery.  And trying to be the responsible guy I am, I contacted a hotel in Evansville, The Drury Inn, to arrange a group rate for both  Thursday and Friday so no one would need to worry about arranging that themselves.

Of course the whole idea has gotten all mucked up with the death of my grandma and all the other stuff thrown at my family this past month.  So to make a long story short, we were the ONLY ones in my family staying both days, so Amanda told me to cancel the Friday night reservation.

So this morning, I called the Drury and I was put on hold.  Of course when you are “on hold” you have the great blessing and privilege to hear all their advertisements and their attempts at being cute and funny. The Drury is not the exception to the rule at all.

But I was particularly taken by how they offer one hour of free long distance during every stay.  Sixty full minutes of talk time from THEIR phone, not yours.  As I was listening to it, I thought it was kind of a neat concept…..and then it finished that part with the words, “and now you will have to find a different excuse to not call your mom.”

Believe me, I almost hit the floor……..laughing.  My mom would have LOVED that.  But of course her being dead now, and all of us heading to the Drury to stay for her funeral, I couldn’t help but think how my mom might want us to discuss just who it is we might call……  And I giggled, because I just could not wait to get off hold.

And my “agent” couldn’t have been better, because when I shared this, at first she was horrified, but then when I shared how my mom would have got a kick out of it, she laughed pretty hard.  She also shared that her husband had recently died as well, and that she wanted to decorate his grave with a few things, but was afraid people might be offended.  I thought about how sad that was….we all die, but funny people  shouldn’t be declared serious people just because they stop living.  I want plenty of laughter at my grave…..I know my mom does too.

But in all reality, I will not be calling her from the Drury, although all of us appreciate the offer.  We will instead have a great time.  Viper will not be going to the kennel this time, but will have house guests, so I suppose he will be to busy to take calls.  But I indeed will make at least one in honor of my dearly departed mom.

I don’t know to whom the call should go……I just know my mom would want it to be funny.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!


Tommy+

Sometimes I find myself between two worlds…….I am an organized guy stuck between making lists that I can see, and technology.  AND, at this point, I am not quite sure what I prefer.

Of course, on those rare occasions I have lost my notes or calendar, I regret not having that back up….so that is a point for technology.  But really, I cannot see too small of print and that drives me nuts….I guess I must just declare these “in between” times and live with them.

My wife does both……and for the life of me, I do not know how.  As I was typing this I got the brilliant idea to ask her, which I did, but she is on the phone.  She will be in my office in a minute to tell me.

Okay, it has been 15 minutes and I am still waiting so I will have to fill everyone in later….but I need some help.  I like being able to see everything, but I cannot see everything on the small screen of my phone.  I DID switch to an IPhone so it was compatible with my computer, but it is still not ideal.  Ouch ouch ouch…all I want to do is be productive in a way that does not hurt.

If you have any suggestions dear readers, please let me know.  Perhaps an $800 IPad that I cannot afford??  No no no….let’s be cheap and let’s be creative.  I need to find solutions now!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I have to confess that I am pretty cranked out of shape today.  I came home from a long trip to our parish in Nashville, Indiana with every intention of watching my beloved Chicago Bears play the New Orleans Saints.  All I could find was SOCCER.

It is only 20 minutes till 8, but I am writing this and heading to bed.  The day has been long and exhausting, not physically, but emotionally.  There are very few things I love more in this life than coaching, but I really needed to hand over the reigns.  But a good reason doesn’t make it any easier.  After all, as I said, I love what I do.

As a priest of many years, there are not too many things in my life that are tangible.  Sure, the church planting thing creates churches, but it is not the same as coaching.  There is an actual thing called a “Church Planting Coach,” but I will say although the field borrows the name “coach” it is far different from how I understand my role.

As I type this tonight I have a great desire to be clear, but I know my current mind well enough to understand that this hope will be a lost cause.  Some things in life just cannot be explained away, and I suppose this is one of them.  I guess that means I just need to let it ride.

So off to an early bedtime I go, if I can sleep.  Tomorrow is another day and I will celebrate it among the saints of St. Matthew’s in Nashville.  I am looking forward to it too.  Heading back to work seems the best thing for me at this time.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Tonight, after much consideration, I sent a letter to my team and informed them of my decision to retire as the Head Coach of the Noblesville High School Women’s Lacrosse Team.  I had been in discussions about this for quite some time, but my personal conversations with my captains this afternoon, and then my email to my players and parents was among the hardest things I have ever had to do.

The truth is, I really love coaching these girls.  They are an awesome bunch, and it really breaks my heart to make this decision.  But we have moved, and Ben will be starting school.  And the reality is that I would have to hire someone to pick him up and watch him so I could attend practice and games.  It just didn’t make sense.  Plus, my daughter is playing college lacrosse on scholarship in Missouri for only three more years.  I would like to see her play.  And Scotty, though attending college right now, will head to boot camp in the US Marines probably in January.  I want to, and SHOULD, attend his graduation in San Diego.  Had I stayed on, there is no way that I could.

But in all honesty, my team is pretty tight and well prepared.  I have offered to stay on as an “interim” as they interview candidates to replace me, as women’s lacrosse does not practice until February.  So I will help schedule the season, help plan for my replacement, and even get a few indoor games under my belt before I leave (let alone three games tomorrow in the Butler Invitational where we have never lost a game!)

It, however, is time.  It has never been about me, but about the girls….it will continue to be so.  But it has been a really a difficult decision for me.

I used to be the priest in the parish that former Michigan University football coach Bo Schembechler grew up in, and was his mom’s priest.  He was  great guy.  And I often spoke with him about how funny I found it that I despised him so much growing up as a Notre Dame fan.  He was never phased by it.  It never was about the coach.  Coaching ultimately is about the team and its record, and players must execute in order to be memorable.  I have had a great tenure, with last year being the only disappointment, but not factoring into my decision.  In truth, I have never scored a goal.  But teach, mentor, and walk with girls who do.  It has been a blessing to me, and one that I cherish.

I am heartbroken to have to walk away.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

All it took was the purchase of a flashlight you wear on your head and the discovery that it also has a red light feature, and a 4 year old boy in his pajamas becomes more of a superhero protector-guy than ever before.  And I wanted all of you to know that, since many of us sit up late and worry at how our police, fire, and military could ever be enough.  We can all rest easy now.

And it has been a hoot to watch too.  We had to first go into the basement to explore, not that there is more evil to fight there, but because quite honestly, it was just too light upstairs.  I apparently felt confident we could leave, whereas he wanted to stay to root out some evil.  Sadly for him, and luckily for any evil hiding in our basement, I had other stuff to do.  But it is the world of a four year old…….a new thing isn’t nearly as fun by yourself.  You want someone to see how cool you are with it, so that is what we did.

But if the coolness and intimidation factors of wearing a red light do not keep us all safe, perhaps intruders will think we have some sort of alien living here and just pass us by anyway.  

But when I look at him and talk to him, sometimes I wonder if we really do.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Scotty and I got to see Stephanie and Cassie last night, although at my age and with how dark it was, those two people could have been anyone.

In retrospect however, the trip was a mistake.  Sure it solved an issue…all the cars are in the right place, but what I really would have enjoyed was seeing my daughter.  I know she hasn’t been gone all that long, but I miss her.  Life is changing, and for me lately quite rapidly and drastically, and I guess at this point in my life I just want a bit of it back.

My time with Steph however was watching her clean out a car at 3 in the morning that she knew we were coming to pick up for hours.   It was rainy and cold.  We were all tired.  It could have all been different in so many ways, and I wish it were.

But in truth, it meant a lot to see her.  She is a special kid and I can’t imagine having a better daughter.  At least I got a few moments.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+