I am writing this from Ferncliff, a retreat center in Little Rock, Arkansas where I am meeting with Church Leaders who do the same job I do until Thursday when we will return home. Ferncliff is a beautiful place, and a place I thoroughly enjoy, but it’s a place that is quite remote and one in which I have poor (meaning almost non-existent) communication possibilities. I do not have a cell signal, nor do I have a car……BUT my phone lists a call from what I fear may be my uncle. My Grandma Middleton, my mom’s mom who really shaped more of who I am with my grandpa than anyone, has been sick. AND, there was a missed call on my phone from a number in my uncle’s (her son’s) area code….and I am OUT OF MY MIND! My Blackberry Messenger will occasionally get a message off to Amanda, but there is no cell service. Please pray that it is just a fluke, and that my worries are unfounded. Sadly, this post may not even get out in a timely manor……..their Internet is down too! God Bless you my friends……please pray that my fears are unfounded…. Tommy+
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Of Cardinals and other soon to be extinct birds….
But it will be great to see her. Everyone else is holding down the fort at home, and as I spoke with them the conversation was cut SHORT…..meaning, most probably, that I am in trouble. Genetically, Ben causes trouble because of ME. And tonight he was doing a great job of just that, causing trouble. Our phone conversation was cut short. We will see if she calls back.
But tonight I will get to go out and visit with Stephanie and Cassie. It will be a nice time, and I am looking forward to it. It doesn’t overshadow the work we did today in Illinois, but it reflects a contrast. This morning there were 12 of us at lunch and 5 of us where 3 and under. I live that life with Ben. But I remember Steph and Scott at that age, and all kids get there. And as we visited at lunch with clergy wives and kids, my memory went into full gear. Times change, but we need to realize the importance of them all. Time will fly by…..we need to enjoy it all.
And today, I am. Thank you Lord for my family, and for all the wonderful people you have put in my life to walk and work with me in faith. They are a blessing to me….let them be a blessing to all.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless, from the home of the EVIL and God’s LEAST FAVORITE TEAM, the St. Louis Cardinals.
Tommy+
A Busy Beaver…….
But I use it to describe my life today. I have been up since the “crack of dawn,” though I am not sure what that means either other than pretty dang early. And, I will go to bed well “after the cows come home” which means late, and in my case tonight very late. I have night games tonight, and afterwards I will head to Peoria, Illinois where I will stay the night so I can meet with the team from Epiphany, our new church plant in Peoria tomorrow. I will also be meeting with some folks looking to plant in Bloomington, Illinois as well. It should be a pretty good time, and much better if I am awake!
So today starts a flurry of activity for me that should let up by Thursday night (yeah, I know probably some Thursday night in April of next year…but I can dream)
I know being this busy isn’t for everyone, but I really do enjoy what I do.
On your mark, get set, GO…….
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
It’s da PROM…….
But the beauty is that they were elated to be going, and especially together. They always have a great time, but tonight I am sure will be special. I was glad to be a small part.
We brought over some desserts (okay, Amanda made them at Scotty’s request) and Lizzie’s mom was making them, and another couple, dinner. Amanda gave Scotty her car for the night, and although his joke about keeping himself at .07 on the alcohol limit t keep it legal was a funny thing to say to her (Amanda), it was a baseless joke as he is still 3 years and a month away from drinking legally anyhow. He will need to work on his formal wear humor.
The day was not lost on his brother either, who informed me this morning that he was going to Prom too. When I asked him about his date/girlfriend, he told me that he was going with Lizzie too, and that Scotty would be sharing. Tonight when that didn’t work out for him he allowed only TWO pictures to be taken of himself and the happy couple. I sure to hope that Prince Harry was a little bit more generous today at the Royal Wedding.
Anyway, it was a great time. And although it is just nine, it is a great enough time for me to retire. I am sure Scotty and Lizzie will enjoy the night, but I will hear about it tomorrow. They join a lot of wonderful kids that I know tonight, and many of whom happen to be my players. I hope it’s Da Bomb…..after all, it is Da Prom…..
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
A bad day made better……okay great!
Needless to say, I was a bit put off by the day. I was making my way to Kokomo MUCH earlier than I was intending to. (I was going after my game, probably arriving there at around 10pm) The day began by ME forgetting to take Ben’s blanket into Cindy’s house when I dropped him off, something she and I both realized AFTER I made the 13 mile jaunt back to my house. When she called me, Ben was having a meltdown. And we both knew it would not end till he had the blanket. He comes by this genetically, in that Amanda has the same issue. She cannot be separated from her first 4-H award (a ribbon from 1984, 1st place in Interpretive Sheep Choreography) that she tucks in her left shoe each morning. But regardless, I took them the blanket. The day was all downhill from there.
But the rainbowS made it pretty cool. We got pretty close to the end of one of them, and although I know there is no pot of gold there, it sure did light up where it ended in a bright array of colors. I told Ben (yes it was a wasted statement of meaning) that I am almost 50 years old and I have NEVER been that close to the end of a rainbow, let alone two. It made a day that was going poorly, one of the coolest I have ever lived. And for that, I am thankful!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Good day to be a DUCK….
When I was a kid, there was a guy that we called “The Weatherman,” and his name was Dick Addis, and he worked for WNDU TV in South Bend. It was in the days before all this dang technology, and to my recollection, I never remember him being wrong. If Dick said it would rain, it would rain, snow it would snow. He was a great weatherman, and a guy we could trust.
Sadly, even with all this technology, we miss the mark often…and as a high school lacrosse coach that bothers me. Today TWO big storms with LIGHTENING were approaching an hour before practice. Like I had a week before, I looked at the radar and read the forecast…..100% chance of rain, and BOTH looked as if lightening was coming too. And BOTH today and last week I cancelled practice an hour before……only to have the storms miss us as if Moses parted them around us himself.
Oh well…..it rained somewhere. Dick Addis, where art thou?
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Goat water…..
This of course has delayed the seeding of my lawn by at least 10 days…..and unfortunately the next opportunity will be Thursday, and only for a small brief window. I may seed parts of it then, but the areas that are already wet and tend to flood will become nothing but swimming pools for seed. I am no botanist, but I am pretty sure that would not be effective. But heck, I am probably dreaming anyway, because after 10 days if I can get enough mowing done to seed it will be a miracle.
Our nice yard is starting to get too high, and with it being wet it is harder to mow. I might ask the neighbors if they mind if I got a couple of goats, but I understand they don’t like to edge….so I may just be on my own. On the upside, I should be able to tell where I have mowed…..and on the downside, gas is a ba-gillion dollars a gallon and it’s a big lawn.
But what can I do? Perhaps after tonight’s storm I can see if building an ark might be a better plan. I will see….and at least then a couple of goats would not seem so out of place.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
On judgment….
I intended to take most of the day off except for lacrosse practice. It was raining though ALL DAY, and pretty hard too. I checked the radar, and I checked the forecast…..wet and rainy. I had quite a few girls text me to say they were missing, so I reluctantly cancelled practice just about 2 hours before it was to start. I still was heading to Noblesville around that time anyway, but guess what???? At 3pm it was SUNNY…cloudy, but sunny. I could have held practice.
I did however make good use of my time. I have to do some traveling in a few days, so I thought I could drive part and fly part, and in doing so drop Steph’s car off to her so she can get home in a few weeks without us heading out to move her back. Of course it is after such a decision is made that her car falls apart. Scotty was driving it Saturday and it had a flat. I went in to have it repaired (that’s why I was in Noblesville) and it had a nail in it….AND two other tires needed to be replaced. It also made all sorts of noises, so it is at the shop tonight to be looked at tomorrow. I just hope I can afford the gas to get her home!
But at least now I am at home and heading to bed. My day of rest was a bust, but at least ALL the cars have new wipers, one has new tires, and the big issue, MY LOST CELL PHONE, has been solved. Apparently I had a program on it that turned off the ringer and it was in a place that I put it so it would not get lost. My post-stroke mind is very meticulous, but sadly I often forget the details even when I am careful. At least I found it.
So if all goes to plan, hopefully I will forget this day. I am looking forward to tomorrow. At least I will enter it with a working cell phone!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Easter Blessings……
Of course I love Easter Day, but as a priest I have to say I am always exhausted when it is over, and that has been the case today. I went home and took a nap, and Amanda, the boys and I went out to eat after we got up. It was a nice way to end the day, and I always appreciate it too. My family is important to me, but all the work leading up to Easter often means I see less of them….something that bothers me, but probably not them. So my point is that Easter dinner together means a lot to me. I was thankful to have the opportunity……if only Steph was able to be a part. I will call her in a bit.
But all in all, I am thankful for the God-given opportunity I have been given to serve. I love what I do, and am blessed to do it with wonderful people.
I hope you too had a glorious Easter Day!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
Oh Chaos….but it is LOOKING GOOD!
Yep, today is Holy Saturday, and yes, I have been doing A LOT of church work! We are finishing up the move of St. Patrick’s for the inaugural service tomorrow, and it has been moving along “swell.” (a word form my youth that reflects a bit of sarcasm). But we will open tomorrow. And all I have to worry about will be a sermon!
And in the midst of all of this, all I had to do today was a small commitment of TWO lacrosse games (at home) and Senior Night. Oh yes, there was a pitch-in that went along with that as well, so it was really not worrying me at all (it was swell). But THANK GOD that it not only went off without a hitch, but that it was perhaps the smoothest Senior Night that I have ever been a part of. My wife and her minions, the parents and players, and especially Assistant Coach Jack Russell made it a wonderful event! We have 9 Seniors, and as I understand it, we will graduate 9 as well. It was a pretty cool experience.
But as for me, it is back to the grind…..enough lounging around! Easter is upon us, and my sermon it not (nor a lot of other things I need to bring). But by this time tomorrow I should be asleep, and even more importantly…..DONE!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+