Caution: Old Guy Blogging!

Abusive Evangelism

2011-06-10T16:29:00.001-07:00

First of all, let me say I'm glad to be back. (I think!) I would feel more guilty about my two-year hiatus from the blog if I didn't know that nearly all of the bloggers I followed two years ago are still on their own hiatuses...er, hiati? Facebook has managed to steal the wind out of many a blogger's sails. I hope I can remember how to do this.

I probably wouldn't have returned to the blogosphere today if I hadn't gotten a little "negative inspiration" at the gym this afternoon. I'd honestly been dreading sitting down at the keyboard to attempt conjuring up a blog post--mainly because I just didn't think I had anything of substance to write about. That all changed about 3 o'clock today. I knew a simple little Facebook post wouldn't cover it.

It all began, oddly enough, in the shower room. There are 16 men's shower stalls at the gym I go to. When I got ready to clean up after my workout, I discovered that there wasn't a drop of soap in ANY of the bodywash containers. Nada. Sixteen dispensers. All empty. Thankfully I had some Head & Shoulders shampoo with me, so I just converted that into an impromptu zinc-y bodywash.

As I was bathing, I noticed a guy going into a shower cubicle across from me. I smiled to myself as I observed him trying to get some soap out of the dispenser--to no avail, of course. Anyway, he came to the stall next to mine and repeated his attempt, only this time with GUSTO. He was banging the crap out of that dispenser handle. Must have hit it 35 or 40 times. I hope he managed to garner at least a nickle-sized dollop of foam for his efforts--but I doubt it.

After our respective showers, we were dressing in the locker room. I assumed he, like me, was a little annoyed about the soap situation, so I just casually commented, "I can't believe there wasn't any soap today in any of the showers." To which he quickly retorted--loudly--"But we had hot water, didn't we? Lots of it. Ninety per cent of the world's population doesn't have a nice gym like this with so much hot water in abundance." Of course he was totally correct in his observation, but the tone of his comment caught me off-guard. I was suddenly feeling like an Ugly American with entitlement issues.

He then started preaching me a sermon about contentment, etc., including an illustration about his recent shopping spree at a 99-cent store. On that occasion, he was in an aisle with a lady who was reaching for something that was displayed on an overstocked rack. Because the rack was so full, when she tried to remove her item, the whole rack collapsed spilling whatever was displayed all over the floor. He was appalled when the woman "complained" about the display being overstocked. He couldn't get over her audacity of complaining about something so trivial in the midst of all that abundance. He said he'd lived in third world countries where a "store" might have only 5 or 6 things available for purchase, and that "shoppers" in those stores would be overwhelmed by the enormous quantity of merchandise we have at our fingertips.

Again, he was absolutely correct.

But by now, I was really getting annoyed with his preachy condescension. Granted, my frustration about the absence of shower soap and the overabundance of goods in American markets might be things to be pondered, but I didn't need to have this total stranger banging me over the head with the concepts.

So there you have the context for what happened next.

Right after he finished his sermon to me, a sweet little Vietnamese man (who speaks very little English) was about to exit the locker room to go home. As he approached, Preacher Man bent down and appeared to pick up what looked like a dollar bill from the floor. He asked the Asian guy if it was his. The little guy smiled really big and said, "No." The Annoying One said, "Are you sure?" and handed it to the man, who looked a bit confused, but was still smiling. Preacher Man said, "Why, that's a million-dollar bill!" They both laughed. Then PM said, "Of course it's fake. Too bad it's not real. But notice the 'million-dollar question on the back of the bill."

Oh, Lord, NO! I thought to myself. Not that ridiculous money tract bit.

Sure enough. The Asian man flips the bill over and PM goes on to verbalize the "million-dollar question" for him: "If you died today, would you go to heaven?"

I couldn't believe I was seeing all this with my own eyes. This obnoxious man had his gospel gun loaded and was blasting a poor guy who was simply wanting to get out of there and go home. The guerilla attack went on for a couple of minutes. I was steaming!

He crammed an awful lot of fear speech into those two minutes. Mankind's choice of heaven or hell was the main topic (with an emphasis on hell). The Asian guy was able to do a nifty little side-shuffle toward the door while PM was rattling on and on. He kept saying in his broken English, "Have nice weekend. Have nice weekend."

After his audience had disappeared, I fully expected Tract Guy to turn back to me with his million-dollar spiel. I guess he considered me too hopelessly materialistic for conversion; after all, I'm one of those "takers" in the world who likes my shower soap to actually BE shower soap.

I suppose I could have said something to the guy, but I knew I would have been wasting my breath. Besides, any attempt to "set him straight" would have been about as effective as him employing a gimmicky little prop to get a total stranger in a smelly locker room to seriously consider a "million-dollar question."

What I witnessed today was abusive behavior plain and simple. Abusive behavior is defined as that which "treats someone in a harmful, injurious, or offensive manner." The man who was harangued by Mr. Tract-weilder will look back on the incident with zero attraction to Jesus. In a crude--but sadly accurate--manner of comparison, this kind of "evangelism" is a bit like being groped by a sexual predator. It always offends and never attracts.

Abusive evangelism just doesn't work. All it manages to do is further alienate skeptical people from the true beauty of the Gospel. We're not commissioned to be abusive. We're called to be "light" and "salt." Not "repugnance" and "vinegar."

My swimming granddaughters . . .

2009-06-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

I posted this video on my Facebook page . . . for those of you who aren't on FB, I thought I'd post it here as well.

This is Haley (5) and Lexi (3) swimming yesterday afternoon in the pool at our condo complex. They're both in lessons and they're both doing a great job. I think they're really naturals.

Kristi also joined them in the swim, but had a bit of a "wardrobe malfunction" with her suit. She was in the original version of the video--along with her verbal commentary about the malfunction--I hadn't listened to the audio when I first posted, so wasn't aware of the blow-by-blow description. If anyone happened to catch the video in the wee hours of the morning, they were treated to a very candid moment! (Although there was nothing to see....just hear about!) I deleted the original post first thing this morning.

So, enjoy the "G-rated" video! :)

Happy Michael Memory

2009-06-27T07:47:00.001-07:00

There was an earthquake during the taping of this sketch. You'll know when it happens...

Memorial Day, 2009: A Personal Reflection

2009-05-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

It is customary for us to take time on this sacred day (sacred meaning "set-apart") to honor our nation's fallen heroes. Well, I certainly want to do that. I'm eternally grateful for all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice which continues to purchase the liberties we can enjoy and celebrate today.

On this particular Memorial Day I would like to take a moment to share a personal observation that came to me yesterday.

It's completely true that our world would be a very different place if it weren't for the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who fought and died for our freedom. In my case, I can honestly say I wouldn't be here without the sacrifice of one Florida native who gave his life in World War II.

Shortly before the outbreak of WWII, my mother fell in love with and married a young man who was a member of the First Christian Church in Kissimmee, FL, where her brother served as the pastor. She and the young man, John Bratton, were enjoying the early experiences of married life when the United States entered the war. John joined the army in the spring of 1942. He was deployed to the European theatre that summer. Shortly after his deployment, my mom learned that she was pregnant with my sister, Rebecca.

My sister was born in April of 1943. John never met his daughter. He was mortally wounded when attempting to liberate a French village on September 1, 1944. A German sniper ended his life that day. I never learned the name of that village, but I was always humbly awed by what occurred there that day. Part of the awe came from the fact that his death occurred EXACTLY five years before my birth (9-1-49) and EXACTLY five years after Adolf Hitler started the whole ugly mess in Europe by invading Poland (9-1-39).

In no way am I "thankful" for his death. I am not thankful for the way my mother's heart was broken. I am not thankful that my sister never held her father's hand, felt his kiss on her cheek, or watched him shave. I am not thankful that his dear mother (who I called Grandmother Bratton) or his sisters (my "aunts" Sarah and Martha) lost their only son and brother. The grim fact, however, is that had he not died on that late summer's day, I wouldn't be here some sixty-five years later.

Yesterday I was watching two of my beautiful granddaughters enjoy dipping their bread in olive oil and vinegar at lunch--one of their culinary favorites. It hit me then that without John Bratton's sacrifice, they wouldn't be here, feasting on one of their favorite foods on the planet. Their mother wouldn't be sitting next to me, laughing and teasing her husband about little things. And of course, I wouldn't have been sitting there thinking about all this stuff. It was a very, very sobering moment for me.

While I am not thankful for infantryman Bratton's death, I am deeply grateful for his sacrificial spirit. And while I obviously never met him, I "remember" him and those he left behind.

The afternoon following my mother's memorial service, my sister and I went through all the things in my mother's little house. One of the most poignant moments of the day occurred when we found her dad's flag that had been presented to Mother on the day of his funeral and internment. My sister didn't know the flag existed. My mother, for some unknown reason, had never shown it to her. It was extremely moving to watch her tenderly caress those aged stars and stripes, realizing that it was probably the most intimate contact she'd ever had with her hero father.

I salute you, John Bratton, and all the others who have given their lives for our country. On behalf of all of my fellow Americans who have been privileged to be born out of time to "other" fathers and mothers because of your deaths, I say "Thank you."

I look forward to meeting you some day, John.

My Blog . . . You See, It's Like This . . .

2009-05-10T13:31:00.001-07:00

MY FAVORITE THINGS (Senior Citizens' Version)

2009-05-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this wonderful lyric that Julie Andrews recently sang at a convention of the AARP in New York City. She received a 4-minute standing ovation after the performance. It's priceless!!

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,

Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,

Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,

Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,

These are a few of my favorite things. . .

When the "pipes" leak,

When the bones creak,

When the knees go bad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,

Lap robes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinning,

Weak bones and fractures and hair that is thinning,

And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,

When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache,

When the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel so bad!

Aretha's Gone Space-Age This Time

2009-05-05T09:51:00.001-07:00

Next Stop: Venus

Some Easter Memories

2009-04-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of some of the highlights of Easter at our house. Haley and Lexi help Lyn bake and decorate the traditional Easter Bunny cake. The second half of the video is the little egg hunt we had here at the house Easter afternoon. It was fun to see the girls search for the candy- and cash-filled eggs!

Lyn's Visit With Her Parents

2009-04-10T08:17:00.001-07:00

Lyn went to Florida this week to visit her parents who live in Lakeland. She had a short but good visit. While there, she managed to snap a few pictures of her mom and dad. It's hard to believe that I am 15 years older than they were when Lyn and I got married.

Lyn's mom continues to play the organ for

the church they attend. Here she's getting

ready for the weekend.

They know Lyn is Cracker Barrel deprived (since

we don't have any in California), so

they make sure she has at least one meal there

when she visits.

Considering that he's recently had a series of

strokes and other health issues, I think

her dad (Francis Reid) looks AMAZING!

This pose is so familiar to me...just like when

he was in his 40s.

This is Billie Reid in her element...

She loves to sew and is an outstanding

seamstress and tailor. Hopefully they

will have sewing machines in heaven.

A Few FAR SIDE Memories

2009-04-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks To All The Forgotten Ones

2009-04-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

This afternoon while I was driving to the office, a red wagon with a little blonde boy in it was being pulled across Main Street at the Yorktown intersection. Seeing the kid in the wagon caused a very pleasant flashback to my boyhood.

When I was 4 or 5, I had my own "little red wagon." It was called the D.R.S. Express--based on the initials of my name, Donald Ray Sewell. I don't really remember much about that wagon. The most vivid memory about the D.R.S. is associated with the older kids (young adults?) who lived at the end of my street. I think they baby sat for me from time to time--or at least watched out for me when I played outside.

I say it's a vivid memory, but that's really overstating the case. It's actually a pretty fuzzy memory, like most people's early childhood memories turn out to be. I don't really remember these neighbors much at all. What they looked like. Their names. Their number (were there 2 or 3 or 4 of them?). I can't even remember their gender--although I know one of them was a girl/woman.

I just remember having a wonderful time with them. I remember feeling secure in their presence. I remember my own wild laughter and the wind blowing in my face as they pulled and pushed me in their back yard and up and down the street.

It occurred to me today that it's probably a very healthy thing that I don't remember the details of those red-wagon moments and all the other day-to-day experiences of my earliest years. Usually the memories that are seared into young minds are associated with pain and trauma. I don't remember my nursery workers at church. I don't remember any of the adults I encounterd as a toddler or a pre-schooler. I don't remember them because they were good, helpful, unassuming, encouraging people who had my protection and well-being as their highest priority.

In the crazy world we live in, I know there are thousands of children--very young children--who are forced to experience horrors and tragedies that will ever remain with them. They will bear the scars of those life wounds as long as they live. They will remember--either consciously or sub-consciously--and the memory will serve as a quiet echo of their early pain.

So when I saw that little boy enjoying his Saturday afternoon ride in his Radio Flyer wagon, I was reminded of how very blessed I have been to have enjoyed the protection and care of good people throughout my life. I was reminded of how thankful I should be to all those people who were there to pick me up when I stumbled, wipe away my tears, change my diaper, rock me when I cried in the nursery, and give me exciting afternoon rides in my D.R.S. Express.

The Girl Loves Chairs

2009-03-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Emily is a chair freak. If it's stuffed and kid-sized, she's all over it. Literally.

The Easter Bunny Experience

2009-03-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the big day: taking the girls to South Coast Plaza for pictures with the Easter Bunny. We did this with Haley three years ago. For some reason, Lexi never went to meet the EB last year. Probably because she was so skittish with Santa the previous winter. We assumed Emily would be thrilled to have the experience, even though she's only 16 months old. Uh, we were wrong. (Much, if not all, of Emily's unhappiness was due to the fact that she had a lip-busting fall at home before coming to the mall. That would have ruined ANYBODY'S morning!)

Famous South Coast Plaza was the scene of the event. We got there early, so we didn't have to deal with long lines of kids and parents. We actually had time to get our bearings and let the kids get the lay of the land.

Lexi was fascinated by the "rabbit hole." The mall folks borrowed copiously from the Alice in Wonderland story...a white rabbit with an umbrella and a watch. Definitely in a hurry...late for a very important date.

I caught this shot of Haley...she looked so grown up to me.

One of Emily's few happy moments of the morning. Here's she's sporting her edgy Converse tennies. So crazy cute.

Lexi and Haley chilling for a few minutes while the parents picked the professional shots. Haley couldn't resist the funny faces.

Sweet sisters. Beautiful picture.

This was just not Emily's year to be a bunny fan.

Tears or no tears, she's a cutie!

The money shot...Happy Templeton girls,

not-so-happy Johnson girl.

Ah, Those Were The Days

2009-03-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Lyn's sister sent this picture to us today...It was taken in the very early years of our marriage. Lyn said she never remembered me looking like this. Gosh, I was skinny. Isn't Lyn pretty? I really see Haley in my picture here. Fascinating. The lovely brunette is Lyn's younger sister, Judi. She and her husband John live in Cincinnati. They have five children and 6.5 grandchildren.

My girls!!

2009-03-17T07:22:00.001-07:00

Last week Lyn took Haley and Lexi up to the Santa Ana Zoo to meet Jennifer, Brian, and Emily. That's where this pic was taken. I just love imagining appropriate captions for this! Emily really looks passionate about Lexi's treat. I don't even know what flavor Icee it is, but it surely appeals to Miss Ems. I think Lexi is ready to defend her cup to the end!

By the way, HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Obama Fingers????? Yuck!!

2009-03-16T15:20:00.001-07:00

Some German poultry company has actually started packaging and selling "Obama Fingers." They claim they didn't realize the racial undertones of the name!!! Give me a break!! It's just disgusting on so many levels. I'm not a huge fan of the president, but I think this is just wrong, going WAY too far. I've always hated the term "chicken fingers," because if just seems weird to me, but OBAMA FINGERS? Mercy, mother!

Ford, I Lift Your Name On High

2009-03-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Found this funny video today....

What happens when corporate America starts stealing the worship songs from our churches.

I Miss You, Dad

2009-03-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

My dad, Curtis Robert Sewell, went home to be with the Lord 17 years ago today. I love this picture, even though the funky glasses make him look a tad bit demented! He was a HUGE tease, and always had a funny comment to make about the little everyday things of life. In this picture, you can tell by the upturned lip that he was on the verge of a big smile and a typical one-liner. On this occasion, it probably would have been, "Don't break your camera, Son." Note the JBC logo over his shoulder. My parents both loved Johnson Bible College--it was the "holy land" in their minds. (It is to most of us who were ever connected to it in any way.)

When I was in 9th grade, dad used to take me to school in his truck. (That year my high school was temporarily re-located while a new campus was being built.) I'll never forget a comment he made to me one morning during our commute. I was angry or frustrated with my mom about something or other. He didn't argue with me. He didn't threaten me. He just reminded me that my mother loved me more than life itself and how I should thank God every day that He'd allowed me to be her son. There were tears in his eyes when he said it. I not only forgave my mom for whatever she'd done, but I had a wonderful confirmation of how much he loved both of us. It's truly a blessing to know that even if you lack a lot of "stuff" in life, when you are loved, you have more than enough.

I love you, Dad. I miss you like crazy.

Weiner Poopie Revisited

2009-02-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

I posted this last year when Haley and Lexi were so sick. Thank God, they're doing great this February. But since our ECONOMY is so sick this year, I think it's worth revisiting this amazingly funny video. I laugh out loud EVERY time I watch it. I hope you enjoy it--again!

Gee, Tonya....I've Missed Ya!

2009-02-18T22:35:00.001-08:00

The Valentine Baker

2009-02-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday afternoon Haley and Lyn whipped together some delicious chocolate cupcakes with pink and white frosting. The joy, of course, was in the process. Here's the proud bakery chef! In the video (below) you can get a "taste" of the process. Looks like they had fun. (Lexi was upstairs taking her afternoon nap. Next year, she'll probably be in the thick of the baking project!)

Our Little Valentine - Piano Prodigy??

2009-02-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

We had the privilege of having Emily spend the night with us last night. Jennifer and Brian were going to have a Valentine's Dinner out with a couple of close friends last night. They don't get many opportunities to get out without Emily, so we were happy to "take her off their hands." Kristi and her girls came over for dinner (assorted goodies from our favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant, Basilicos) and some good "cousin time." Haley and I worked on her Legos Star Wars battleship for a while.

This morning, Lyn got some great footage of Emily playing the piano in our living room. I'm attaching it here...when she's a famous pianist we'll have this as a reminder of the "early days." It may be boring to some of you, but I love watching it--big surprise! :)

HIKING--A New Passion??

2009-02-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. My friend Duane Weiss and I met at the church at 8:30, and headed up the 605 freeway toward the San Gabriel mountains. We drove to Sierra Madre and up the mountain to take one of the trails at Chantry Flat. We were so close to civilization, but might as well have been on a deserted island. It was wonderful!

This is part of the beautiful mountain range

known as the San Gabriel Mountains.

I felt like I was back in the Smokies!

I'm standing by the stream that makes

its way down from high in the mountains.

We crossed the stream about 10 different

times as we followed the switchback trail.

(I only stepped into the water once when I

slid off a slippery rock.)

A beautiful view by the parking lot where

we began the tour. It was SUCH a gorgeous

day to go on a mountain hike!

Even though it's technically winter,

there were some beautiful flowers and

blooming trees announcing that

spring was on the way.

Looking down at the stream from

one of the high points of the trail.

We were TOTALLY cut off from communication

today. Absolutely no cell reception. There was

no electricity up the mountain, even though

there were little "settlements" of cabins that

people live in. (They haul up supplies

on mules!) There were these periodic emergency

phone shacks that you could make 911-type calls

to the outside world. I would definitely NOT

have wanted to have a heart attack today!

Here's Duane checking out the instructions about

how to activate/use the emergency phone.

Even though we were in a lot of shade

on the trail, it could have been REALLY

shady if the trees had their summer foilage.

Another great view.

This was looking straight down. One

misstep would have the hiker dropping

like a rock for about 150 feet.

Here's Duane on the trail.

As we came toward the end of our 6.5 mile hike,

we were able to look down at the parking

lot where Duane's truck (the little white

speck in the distance) was parked.

IT WAS A GREAT DAY! LOOKING FORWARD

TO DOING IT AGAIN!

Dick Cheney/Nancy Pelosi Blink-Off

2009-02-11T12:15:00.000-08:00

Movie #5 - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

2009-02-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, now I know what all the hype is about.

Lyn and I saw SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE this afternoon. Seeing it brought back so many memories of being in India in 2003. I could almost smell curry (and other stuff!) as I watched the story unfold.

It was a fascinating plot, pieced together like a child's pop-bead neckace. It was brilliantly based upon the protagonist's coincidentally correct answers to questions on India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" The story was brilliantly directed by Danny Boyle, who also directed the edgy 1996 TRAINSPOTTING.

I loved Boyle's attention to little details and the skill he applied to building tension in his storytelling. Lyn actually gasped at the sound of a coke bottle opening! (The way it was set up, you felt like someone was pulling a murderous knife from a scabbard.)

More than anything else, SM is a love story. The beautiful actors portraying the "fated" lovers are Dev Patel (Jamal Malik) and Freida Pinto (Latika). Although they didn't really occupy the screen together very much, when they did it was really enchanting. Back in the day, they used to call that "chemistry."

The movie is full of grit and grime, photographed in a way that is achingly beautiful. The musical score by A.R. Rahman is simultaneously haunting and exciting. The children are angelic (although barefoot and smudged). The action is riveting. The violence is visceral. The romance is heartbreaking. The ending is everything you want a movie to be, even though it's wildly manipulated.

So which film is going to win? Who knows. My personal preference would probably be THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, but SLUMDOG could easily take home the gold. All five of this year's nominees are worthy contendors, each having its own list of strengths.

Oscar night is going to be VERY interesting!

Movie #4 - MILK

2009-02-09T20:13:00.001-08:00

Lyn and I finished up the "Top Five" movies this afternoon by watching MILK and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. It was a rainy day, so sitting in a theatre was a great way to stay dry!

MILK was basically a biographical "social action" film. It was one of those movies that was destined to be made because of the significance of the issue of gay rights to contemporary culture. The film treated the circumstances that led to and constituted the political career of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person elected to a major political office in the U.S.

Since most of the events are based upon historical record (and presumably upon a tape-recorded autobiography by Milk himself), there is little that needs to be said about the story line. One can check Wikipedia to find out most of the details.

I felt like Sean Penn gave a very convincing portrayal of San Francisco City Supervisor Milk. I never really knew much about the man himself, outside the great scandal of his being one of the victims of a high-profile double murder at San Francisco's City Hall. He and San Francisco's mayor George Moscone were both gunned down by disgruntled Supervisor Dan White (played by Josh Brolin). It was a senseless death which resulted in Milk's becoming an icon of the gay movement in America.

While the movie would not have been my personal choice for best picture, I did find it to be very well produced and acted. Especially interesting was the inclusion of footage from actual news coverage of the events related to his career and death. It was good to see Tom Brokaw and Walter Cronkite in their younger years.

Movie #3 - THE READER

2009-02-07T08:19:00.001-08:00

In the jargon of dramatic arts, a tragedy is simply defined as, "a plot in which the protagonist, because of some inherent flaw in his/her character dies." (Not all tragedies require physical death, of course, but it's more the rule than the exception. Just think of Romeo and Juliet and its modern equivalent West Side Story.)

I would definitely consider The Reader to be a tragedy. In fact, I think it could be classified as a double tragedy. It certainly reveals how an "inherent flaw" and secrecy can spiral out of control and affect many people, thus multiplying the tragedy.

Lyn and I went to the movie knowing very little about what to expect. (Actually, Lyn was more informed about the content than I was. ) I truly knew nothing about it, except that it was a love story of some sort taking place in Nazi Germany.

I certainly wasn't expecting scene after scene of nude lovemaking. After the film, I commented to Lyn that the costume designer didn't have much responsibility during the first hour of the movie, if you know what I mean! In fact, it might have been appropriate for them to have given God partial credit for costume design, because Kate Winslet and David Kross were in their birthday suits a good portion of that hour! (By the way, the very young-looking Kross was born July 4, 1990, but definitely looked like the 15-year old he portrayed. Winslet, was born in 1975.)

One may ask if all that bedroom business was necessary to the story, or were the screenwriter and director just pushing the envelope to see how far they could go sexually in mainstream cinema? As it was happening, I certainly asked that question. But as the story develops, you begin to realize how important it was to establish the emotional and psychological hold this older woman had on the boy for the rest of his life. That doesn't make it "right" or "moral," of course. But it certainly makes it understandable, and that is the point of it.

Perhaps the best "gift" of the film is the opportunity to hear snippets of great classic literature being read aloud. It inspires you to go blow the dust off some of the old books in your local library--the ones that haven't been checked out by anyone for years. Or maybe pick up some of the 99-cent books on the sales table at Barnes & Noble. It was neat to hear words so artfully strung together by some of the world's most creative minds. They were as important to the film as the musical score. (For instance, I didn't realize Chekhov wrote things other than stage plays. I'd never heard of his brilliance as a short-story writer, and certainly never heard of "The Woman And Her Little Dog.")

Kate Winslet was really amazing in this film. Although you never really "liked" her character, Hanna Schmitz, you certainly grew into feeling compassion for her. Ralph Fiennes played the "grown up" Michael Berg. Although his part was brief, I thought he was wonderful. If his part were a little longer, he might have gotten the nod for best supporting actor. Since the young David Kross is a German actor, we may or may not see him in future American films, but he is truly a fine artist.

If you see the film, you should constantly ask yourself, "Just who IS the reader?" You'll find yourself vacillating between answers--even after the film is over.

A word of caution. If you embarrass easily, don't go with your mom. Or your kids. Or your minister. Or your small group. Or your Sunday School class. (However, if you're thinking "What Would Jesus Do?" regarding whether or not to see the film, I honestly think He would go. Not that He'd need to, of course. He deals with these stories in real life all the time! But I still think He'd go.)

Movie #2 - Frost/Nixon

2009-02-03T21:29:00.001-08:00

Tonight Lyn and I went to our second "Oscar Viewing." We and the other EIGHT people in the theatre were treated to a very well-produced, well-directed, and well-acted drama-mentary. Frank Langella was a brilliant Richard Nixon, and managed to bring a real humanness to our ill-fated (i.e. "scumbag") president. Michael Sheen's portrayal of entertainer-turned-journalist David Frost was very good, although I found myself focusing on his hairstyle and SERIOUSLY toothy smile that he flashed continuously.

Somehow or other, I missed the actual interview back in 1977, but seeing the film really took me back. Specifically, it took me back to the living room of 84-year-old Lucile Jenkins, the dear neighbor who became a surrogate grandmother to Lyn and me in our first year of marriage. I remember spending about an hour (sometimes two) with her every afternoon during the Watergate Hearings in 1974. (The Watergate break-ins occurred in the wee hours of our wedding night, June 16/17, 1972!) Combining the scandal of the break-in coverup and the escalation of the Vietnam War, it was a really weird time to be an American. While today's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are full of their own tragedies and horrors, they are practically a romp in the park compared to the atrocities of Vietnam and Cambodia. All war is hellish; Vietnam was spawned in the darkest pits of Hell!

But I digress. The film was a great looking glass into the follow-up of those incendiary days. It also gave fascinating insight to the limited (but effective) media technologies of the late 70s.

Was it Oscar worthy? Not so much, in my opinion. Langella was mesmerizing in his acting, so he certainly deserved his nomination for Best Actor. Since Nixon himself was so stiff and one-dimensional, playing him well made Langella come across that way a bit. The character didn't offer him much opportunity for developing the nuances one likes to see onscreen. The final interview scene, however, was the real bread and butter of Langella's performance--and maybe the whole film.

On a scale of 10, I'd give FROST/NIXON a strong 8.

Memory Lane

2009-02-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

I was looking at some of the pictures on my office computer during lunch. I came across a few that I thought I'd post. Maybe they'll bring a chuckle or a sigh, depending on the viewer.

I've officially been blogging a year now. (Feb 1 was my anniversary!)

The top picture is of Jennifer and Brian, taken near the date they became engaged.

These three pictures are of Kristi and her

buds at Central Christian in Vegas.

Her dear friend Kathy is standing to her left

in the onstage shots.

I know Bruce looks very spiritual in the top

picture. The truth is . . .

Sorry about the randomness of these pics. For whatever reason, I felt "led" to post them.

Apologies to Bruce . . . but I couldn't resist these shots.

Move Over Mozart?

2009-02-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

An amazing little kid.

All I Can Say Is . . .

2009-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

Haley Beth Turned Five! 012309

2009-01-29T11:29:00.001-08:00

Star Date 012309. Oh, sorry....wrong show. That would be January 23, 2009.

Yes, Haley Beth Templeton is now 5 years old (in earth years). She had a wonderful birthday on the 23rd and a fun party on the 24th.

The poor baby can't help being a Star Wars fan. Her dad is probably one of the most dedicated SW fans I've never known. (Of course, I know there are some REALLLLLY crazy fans out there who make Curtis appear disinterested by comparison...but as to fans that I personally know, he'd be right there at the top of the list.)

The fascinating thing about Haley is that her SW hero is not Luke Skywalker; not Hans Solo; not Princess Leia. She is a die-hard DARTH VADER fan. Spooky, huh?

The party was supposed to be at a park, but because of the threat of rain it was moved to Jon and Gina Michell's house. Which was nice, because the kids got to party to the video accompaniment of STAR WARS on the plasma. It was tons of fun, and no one got caught in a trash compactor!

The not-so-usual party pinata.

The little Dark-Sider herself: Darth Haley

The warriors at Darth's command. Darth Haley

enjoys having the boys at her beck and call!

If I didn't know better, I'd say it

was in the genes!

Here's the wise little Yoda, or as they refer

to her in the Hood, YoLexDa.

Even evil inter-galactic super-warriors

enjoy their birthday cakes.

Cousin Emily certainly enjoyed HER cake!!

Lexi admiring the Star Wars loot.

Enjoying her off-theme birthday gift from Papa Don

and MaMa Lyn: Lite Brite. For those temporary

retreats from the Dark Side.

Give Me A Break!!!!!

2009-01-27T23:01:00.000-08:00

This just in . . . a ridiculous article in the newest issue of VANITY FAIR. I nearly gagged when I read it. While there may be some statistical "truth" in what writer Dee Dee Myers says, the concept both angers me and creeps me out. While her article is officially "commentary," it's interesting that she was formerly President Clinton's press secretary. Here's a taste of Ms. Myers' professional "commentary," nurtured and tempered, no doubt, by a lengthy career of more objective journalism:

"Barack Obama is the most famous living person in the history of the world. . . It seems indisputable to me that more people know at least something about the new American president than anyone alive, at this point--or any--in the planet's history."

Considering that she used the phrase "living person" makes the statement viable, I suppose. However, one almost gets the sense that she WANTS to say "the most famous person--living or dead--in the history of the world," when you read the subsequent paragraphs.

". . . Gone is the hunkered-down defensiveness of the past eight years, the lock-the-doors, draw-the-curtains, load-the-guns-to-keep-out-the-bad-guys mentality that turned the world against us. . . It was no accident that President Obama's first television interview from the White House went not to an American network but to an Arab one. . . Obama has made America cool again--and more than that, he's made his own brand arguably the most powerful the world has ever known."

Hmmmmm....and what "brand" is that? I guess I'm just simple-minded enough to believe the most powerful "brand" the world has ever known is the cross of Jesus Christ. Call me old-fashioned. (REALLY old-fashioned, evidently, because I believe Jesus is every bit as "living" as Barack Obama, and infinitely more "famous.")

I've been very uncomfortable over the last few months when I have heard some conservative pundits quipping about the presumed "messianic complex" of Obama. It just seems mean-spirited and a tad "bitchy" when they talk like that--much like whining kids who didn't get their way about something. But when I read things like this article, it makes me MUCH more uncomfortable. This isn't journalism. It's worship. It isn't even editorializing or "commenting." It's adoration.

Creepy stuff.

SURELY nobody's going to start giving him stiff-armed salutes or referring to him as "My Leader."

Movie #1 - THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

2009-01-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

We just returned home from a 6:30 screening of TCCOBB. We began our 2nd annual tradition of watching (at least) the top 5 Best Picture nominations for the Oscars.

There was a grand total of 18 of us in the theatre. It was a Monday night, so 3-hour commitments were probably hard to come by. Too bad. It was a BRILLIANT film. If the quality of this picture is representative of the other four Best Picture noms, we're in for a real treat. As in all great movies, there are multiple themes at work in Button, making the story succeed at many levels: youth and aging, time, death, and life, commitment, personal sacrifice, respect, and--most importantly--love.

I think it would fascinating to hear from people of different generations about what they took away from the film. Do younger audiences connect as deeply with the story as older ones might? I'm convinced that the age of the viewer would be a significant factor in the "message" derived from this film.

The cast was amazing. Brad Pitt certainly deserved his nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. I won't be at all shocked if he takes home the Oscar next month.

If the Academy is leaning toward voting for an epical film this year, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will likely win. If it's in the mood for trendy, edgy, and more direct story-telling, it probably won't win. Whatever the result, I would STRONGLY recommend this movie to anyone. It's one you definitely take home with you when you leave the theatre.

Just don't buy a soda before the movie starts. If you do, you probably won't make it through the film without a restroom run! It's L*O*N*G!

Perfect Way to Begin a New Administration

2009-01-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

I got the link to this video in an email note this morning.

It brought back memories of Ekklesia and Sanctified (for those of you familiar with PCC/Hope). It's the kind of arrangement I like to write myself for capable singers. Anyway, in light of our "new day" in America, I thought I'd post it here. I encourage you to listen. I know I'll play it many times myself in the future.

Here's Celtic Women and their version of "Over the Rainbow." Enjoy!

Choir Blooper

2009-01-16T12:43:00.001-08:00

Okay, first of all, there's nothing X- or even R-rated about this blog post, even though that's what first comes to mind with the word "Blooper." But we definitely had a "blooper scenario" last night at choir rehearsal.

The rehearsal itself went really well. We worked on two numbers pretty extensively--made a lot of headway in getting both pieces down. So far so good.

After the music was rehearsed, we moved into "prayer request" time. There were some very heart-wrenching and heart-warming requests and praise reports that occurred.

Just as we were ready to pray, one of the members had this request for a neighbor of his who had become suddenly ill this week with some kind of lung disorder. The neighbor's wife had called the family doctor who told them to get to the hospital immediately. The husband didn't want to have to summon an ambulance (probably from embarrassment or the understandable avoidance of the usual $1000 ambulance fee), so he insisted the wife drive him there.

She let her husband out at the emergency room entrance so she could park the car.

Still--so far, so good.

Then the prayer-requester said quietly, "But by the time she got into the hospital, he was already gone. (Pause)"

During the pause, the whole choir groaned loudly in sympathy for the poor wife who'd obviously been left behind. I remember thinking, "Oh, no. They SHOULD have taken the ambulance. Maybe that would have saved his life!"

When the groans began, the requester realized what the choir was thinking he'd meant. He got really panicky and shouted, "Not DEAD! Not DEAD!" He'd only meant to say that the man had already been taken up to surgery! Well, the choir lost it in their laughter--I think there was even a guffaw or two. It was so funny to be yanked from tragedy to comedy with just two words. It would have been a great scene from SEINFELD , THE OFFICE, or some other quirky sit-com.

It's always good to be reminded that words spoken or written take on a life of their own, depending on context and assumed meaning.

Beware of the poorly timed euphemism!

Or the overly-extended pause.

A.I. Returns!!!!

2009-01-13T22:44:00.001-08:00

The show that launched a thousand careers. Well, maybe 25 or 30. Americans love talent--but they also love a good freak show. A.I. in January gives us the best of both worlds.

LOVE IT! Can't wait 'til tomorrow night.

The White House--Then and Now

2009-01-11T16:27:00.000-08:00

Last night Lyn and I were having a hard time finding anything to watch on TV. We wound up watching a wonderful program about The White House. It was a great HD tour of the mansion with some amazing photos and historical footage. (The picture above is said to be the very first photograph made of the White House, taken in 1846.)

One of the things that really moved me in watching it was the section on its original construction. It was built almost entirely by slave labor. It struck me as unbelievably poignant and ironic that in a mere nine days, an African-American family will be moving into that beautiful space--not to serve at the pleasure of the President, but AS the presidential family. Remarkable.

And then the thought hit me . . . if all the hooplah and speculation about Obama's birthplace actually being Kenya rather than Hawaii ultimately were proven to be true, it might be historical justice. Granted, it technically would be contrary to a Constitutional proviso; however, when one considers that most of the framers of the Constitution were themselves slave-owners or were in agreement with the practice, would such an infraction REALLY be all that big a deal?

On January 20, history will once again be profoundly made. Although I didn't vote for our new president, I am nevertheless in awe of the historical circumstances, and am thrilled to be alive at this amazing time.

Angel Unaware?

2009-01-06T03:14:00.000-08:00

It's almost 3:15 a.m. I'm having one of "those" nights. Sleep came easy when I went to bed, but my brain is awake and my hands are hurting, and I have a meeting in less than six hours.

The hands? No big deal. Just lots of little scratches from the one-on-one I had with the Christmas tree yesterday afternoon. It's an artificial tree (only 2 years old), and should have been a piece of cake to put back into its box for its 10.5 month hibernation. It decided, however, to be jackass-stubborn. I couldn't separate the middle and bottom sections. I worked a long time on it myself. When Lyn got home, she and I tugged and pulled and fussed over it. (Video of that would have been quite entertaining, I'm sure.) Then I went next door to conscript the help of a big, burly neighbor guy. He and I together couldn't make anything happen either--even after 10-15 minutes of tug-o-war with the tree.

The bottom line: the tree won the battle, but I won the war. It's in the dumpster as I type. Its "hibernation" will be a little more exotic this year!

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. My insomnia.

As I said earlier, in addition to my battle-scarred hands, my wide-awake brain took me from my bed and down the stairs to the computer.

I was thinking about a lady I met on the street New Years Eve. It wasn't on Times Square for the ball drop--it was on Restaurant Row NEAR Times Square where Lyn and I had dinner a few hours before midnight. As we were approaching our restaurant-of-choice, I heard a little voice call out. It was an African-American woman, standing on the opposite side of the street, wrapped in an old blanket, trying to cope with the very cold night.

I walked over to her and was struck by her simple beauty. Wrapped up in the blanket like she was, she looked rather majestic--certainly not like the stereotypical "homeless person" that comes to mind. I didn't have much cash on me...a $5 bill and a few ones. I gave her the $5 and kept the ones for a tip I figured I might need to give someone before the night was over. (I should have just emptied my wallet for her, but "strategy-mind" trumped "compassion-mind.")

She was so appreciative of my little hand-out. We chatted a few moments. Restaurant Row is on 46th St. She said she usually stayed up around 100-something. I couldn't help wondering what had brought her so far from her normal area...I assumed it was the New Years Eve throngs.

She seemed a bit familiar to me, for some reason. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me, but she reminded me a lot of a homeless woman I'd seen the day before. That woman was lying on a cold street, too miserable to even call out to the people who passed by. I noticed her, but walked by, giving only a glance in my haste. But the image of her lying there stayed with me. I felt really badly about not giving her anything that day. Especially after meeting her Doppelganger the next evening!

I couldn't help but wonder if the two women might really have been the same person. In fact, part of me wondered if she was really a "person" at all, but really someone placed there just for me. I know that notion is probably from all those Hallmark shows I watched before Christmas, but whether or not she was an angel, she certainly fulfilled the role of one: a messenger. They/she spoke volumes to me, even though I only conversed with the second.

THEN, in his wonderful message Sunday, Dan (our outreach/missions pastor) spoke about daring to do more for God in 2009. I once again thought of my Angel Lady in New York. Is God laying this on my heart?

My meeting this morning is about establishing a more organized system of volunteer visitation of the sick and shut-ins of our church. My small group is really passionate about taking this on for an in-church ministry. At the same time, we are wanting to become involved at some level with the Orange County Rescue Mission, an organization that works among the poor and disenfranchised of the affluent OC.

I don't know if my New Years "Angel" was human or heavenly, but I think her presence on that street was Providential to my 2009.

Isn't it ironic that today is January 6--a.k.a. The Day of Epiphany?

GOOD to be home!

2009-01-03T10:53:00.001-08:00

It's so great to be back home!! Our 5.5 days in New York were so very special. It's been fun chronicling and sharing the pictures with everyone. Thanks for all the comments and feedback on the postings. I hope all NYC lovers have the opportunity to spend some extended time there at some point. It really gets in your blood! (Even if your blood has gone "thin" from being in California too long!)

SPECIAL thanks to "Dr. Ron" for being so kind to loan me his great coat (pictured above in front of the NYC Public Library) to do the city in. It was so warm without being heavy and bulky. Jeanne Zenk made me the scarf for the trip, too. Thanks much Ron and Jeanne!

Good Morning America - Zzzzzzzz

2009-01-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

We were up bright and EARLY this morning to head over to ABC (about 2 blocks from our hotel) for the taping of Good Morning America. All the regular crew was on vacation. Bill Weir and Kate Snow (the weekend anchors) were hosting today. They were great, but the show itself was a major sleeper!!! Lyn and I were on the off-camera side of the studio, so the only time we appear in the show is during the 8:00 sign-in and weather spot--both OUTDOORS!! So, we no sooner got warmed up in the studio than we had to put our coats back on to go out for that bit. Even tho it was an awful show and we didn't really have any studio on-camera time, it was fun. The pictures below speak for themselves.

For those of you who may not know, Lyn is a real GMA junkie, so it was a Mecca-like pilgrimage event for us to do this. We were there in August 2007 also. The whole gang was there that day...except for Robin who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time.

I'm posting this to publish tonight at 10:00 Pacific. We'll be back in CA by then (hopefully) and our NYC adventure will be history. It's been great, but we're VERY glad to be heading home this afternoon. California, here we come.

A WICKED Day in New York -- Day #4

2009-01-01T20:58:00.001-08:00

After stuffing on the breakfast buffet (they call it the "Broadway Buffet" here), we headed out for another bus tour...this one is the "Downtown Tour." We had a fantastic tour guide today...her knowledge about the City was broad and deep. She talked brilliantly about everything: architecture, history, art, music, theatre, demographics, literature, science, and international affairs. And she did it all with this great winsome and funny manner. It was a great way to get to know Downtown Manhattan. Definitely had some show-biz in her past, you could tell.

One of the first stops this morning was the great Carnegie Hall. The picture looks like it was raining...that's actually these gross smears/stains on the bus window. Just pretend it's rain, ok?

This is one of the original sites of the Macy's Department

Store. Macy tried and failed THREE TIMES

to get a store off the ground. He lost

everything he owned on three different occasions. The

fourth time, it worked...he eventually moved

to the present 34th St. site.

This is one of the downtown Bloomingdale's Stores. It

occupies what used to be a factory building "back in the day."

I forget what these buildings are...there are just

SO many gorgeous places downtown.

(Again, pretend rain!)

Love this building with the clock. Like Bloomingdales

in the picture above, this was originally a factory

building way back in the 19th century.

This is the very famous jazz club in the Village--The

Bitter End. Has been around for YEARS and still

quite the hot spot for musicians and audiences alike.

This is one of the city government buildings. If

I recall correctly, the original theatre district was

in this area...it moved along with the NY Times to

the "Times Square" area where 7th Avenue and Broadway

converge.

This is just one of the many city streets we

passed this morning.

This wall mural was one that DKNY had posted

at the time of the 9/11 attacks. (Note the Trade

Center Towers in the "N"). Because the

Towers were featured in the mural, it became a

protected landmark...so DKNY will be advertised

there from now on with the City's protection and

blessings.

After 9/11, children all over the world painted their

"feelings" on little tiles. These tiles were

attached by an artist to this fence near Ground

Zero. It has become one of the most poignant memorials

of the great National Tragedy.

We got off the bus at the Waldorf-Astoria for two reasons.

A) We neededto go potty; B) We wanted to see this world

renowned hotel. Glad we did. I can see why

the Obamas (and every other world leader) like

to stay there!

Here's one of the many trees in the beautiful lobby

of the W-A. We didn't take pictures of the

restrooms, but they were gorgeous. The men's

was white marble, with fancy chandelier in the center,

and beautiful crown moulding on the ceilings.

A guy handed me a paper towel after I washed my

hands. AND, he wasn't expecting a tip!

(At least he didn't make it blatantly

apparent when he didn't GET one! haha)

A shot of Lyn in the lobby. She looks like

she belongs there, huh?

This was Cole Porter's piano....it's prominently

displayed in the hotel lobby.

This marble mosaic is part of a HUGE

circular design in the lobby floor.

After we left the W-A, we went to St. Patrick's

again. I wanted some daytime shots. Here's a long

shot of the nave ceiling. Gorgeous.

More ceiling and some beautiful pointed-arch

blue windows.

One of the rose windows at the north trancept.

Tonight we ate dinner at Bobby Flay's

Bar Americain near the Gershwin Theatre

where we saw WICKED. The restaurant

was really pretty. The waiter was great, and

the food was excellent. Lyn's a huge BF fan.

These wreaths were on a wall opposite our

table. Kinda sad to realize that soon these and

all other decorations around the city will soon

be put back into their storage boxes for another 10-11 months.

It was a great day...But we're ready to go home tomorrow!

(After we do ABC's Good Morning, America)

Hope you had a Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! NYC, Day #3

2008-12-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, friends!!!! We just got back to the room from the whole Times Square New Year's Eve experience. It was great fun. We only stood out in the unbelievable cold for two hours. A young couple, celebrating their 4th anniversary today, had been there since 9am!!!! They'd driven from Fort Wayne, Indiana the day before...spent the night in Queens. They have to deal with catching a cab or subway back to Queens, then driving 15 hours tomorrow. Wow! Some anniversary! But they seemed to be having fun. I felt guilty just walking 50 yards to our hotel!

Anyway, we started our day by walking down to Macy's on 34th Street. (Lyn wanted to buy some New West perfume--the only place in USA that sells it now.) On the way we stopped at Bryant Park to watch ice skaters. It started snowing while we walked there. (Picture above.)

Right behind Bryant Park is the NYC Public Library and their famous landmark "mascots," the twin lion sculptures. Since I'm such a book freak, I wanted my picture here. A young couple inside the library took the picture below of Lyn and me at the library tree. I dropped my camera right after this picture, and I was afraid it had broken....fortunately Canon makes tough cameras!

Here's Macy's in NYC. I was NOT impressed. I love the history of it, but the store itself is nothing to write home about. The crowds were horrible!!!!!! We rode their wooden escalator to the basement. (They call it "The Cellar.") A nice experience, but it doesn't compare to a southern CA store. The window dressings were cool--they told the story of "The Miracle on 34th Street." This picture is right at Herald Square--on Broadway--center stage for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

In the afternoon we went to the AMAZING show, "In The Heights." I would recommend this to anyone! Great family-centered story. Fun music. Incredible dancing. Dazzling lighting. Definitely deserved it's 2008 Tony Award! The pic above is Lyn in the outfit Kristi and Curtis got her for the NYC trip.

Lyn in line to enter the Richard Rogers theatre for

IN THE HEIGHTS

The stage for IN THE HEIGHTS. The director sure

made good use of the space! Wonderful production!

Tonight we had dinner again on Restaurant Row. Afterward we went back to the hotel. We didn't really plan to go out onto Times Square, but we figured we'd regret it a lot if we didn't do it. So about 10 o'clock we went for it. A wonderful Marriott employee willingly escorted us out into the fray. It was such fun!

Here's where we wound up....right by the hotel entrance. With a perfect view of the Toshiba-sponsored New Year's Waterford Crystal Ball.

Yes, Lyn was very happy. She looks a little tipsy, but

it's just joy! She only had coffee for dinner! :)

When the ball dropped, the confetti began to fall.

It was like a deluge!!! Beautiful experience!

More confetti....

Thank you, Marriott!!! It was a night to remember,

for sure.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!!!!!!!!!

Day # 2 in NYC - My early New Year's Greeting

2008-12-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone. Good-bye 2008 (almost). Today was both a great day and a little disappointing one. It began with a delicious breakfast buffet...down in the lobby of our hotel. (The picture above was taken from just in front of our room door, looking down into the lobby. The restaurant itself is hidden behind the elevator shaft--on the right.) We're on the 17th floor--there are at least 30 floors above us!)

From breakfast, we checked in to activate our transportation tickets at the City Tours office. We jumped onto a bus right away for the Uptown Tour. Now THAT was much fun. We had an amazing guide who was about 60 years old. He was raised in Manhattan, so he had tons of stories to tell. When we passed the sprawling and upscale Lincoln Center area, for example, he told us that it had originally been a violent, gang-ridden area of the city. (WEST SIDE STORY was filmed right on the property--it was covered with tentement housing back then.) We saw the apartment buildings of Madonna, Yoko Ono, Jerry Seinfeld and others. We saw Grant's tomb (I always wondered where it was--haha). The guy was a total fount of interesting (and entertaining) information.

We went through the campus of Columbia University and drove by the Cathedral of St. John the Divine...where Bill Clinton attends services occasionally. We then went through Harlem.

This is the famous Apollo Theatre in the

heart of Harlem. The Apollo is famous for its

nightly "amateur night." Some great musical

legends had their beginnings at the Apollo.

Also in the middle of Harlem is the

building in which Bill Clinton has his New York

offices. (This is the Adam Clayton Powell office building.)

Before we got to Clinton's office, I noticed this

Hardware/Housewares store on the street.

I took a picture because of the Clinton name...Lyn

said, "This must be where he picks up his girls."

I thought I had to share!

We left the bus at the Metropolitan Museum of

Art. Amazing, amazing, amazing place. BUT,

it was ridiculously crowded. (One of the employees

welcomed us to the "Fifth Avenue Zoo!" He wasn't

exaggerating.) It was like being at Disneyland on a

crowded day. Definitely NOT the way to visit a

world-class museum. And I thought the Louvre was

crowded when we were in Paris!!

This is one of the great corridors housing artifacts

at the Met. (Actually, this appears to be

the space between two different buildings.)

Beautiful sculptures here!

I enjoyed taking some photos of

Lyn in one of the more picturesque halls.

And they weren't terribly crowded! YEA!

When we were in France, we visited Claude Monet's

country home in Giverny. Lyn fell in love with

the bridges and lillies on the estate. She wanted

to be photographed with one of his famous

bridge paintings.

The Met has a wonderful exhibit of musical

instruments--European and international.

They had some beautiful "double harpsichords"

on display. I'd never seen one "live" before, but

have read about them for years.

And I thought our 9' grand at church

was "fancy!" Isn't this gaudy? (But beautiful

in a "rococo" kinda way.)

Not only were there double harpsichords, but

there was this amazing double "virginal." A virginal

really IS a harpsichord, but the strings run parallel

to the keyboard. (In a harpsichord, strings

run perpendicular to the keyboard, like a grand piano.)

This particular virginal was made for a mother and

child...the mother played the keyboard on the left. The

keyboard on the right played an octave higher than the

"adult" keyboard.

After we left the Met, we walked through

Central Park. Lyn suggested that I

take some pictures. I'm glad I followed

her suggestion. I love how these turned out.

Love this park lamp...it blends with

the bare trees in a beautiful way.

Disappointment #2...(with #1 being the crowds at

the Met.) We had SOOO looked forward to

a "City Lights Tour" as part of the touring

package we purchased. It should have been

a great tour, but we had a young, uninformed, uninteresting

guide who was the polar opposite of the guy we

had this morning. He was so pathetic that many of

the passengers left the tour at our Grand Central Station

stop, and took a Subway back to their hotels. This guy

was so bad that he spent more time talking about the menu

at a Todai restaurant we passed than ANY other

landmark on the tour! It was so bad it became funny.

Oddly, he looked genuinely surprised when people

weren't tipping him when the tour was over!

(The picture above was taken on Times Square as we

first embarked. Our expectations were WAY too high!)

(In his defense: at the end of the tour he showed

us where Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie and Janet Jackson live.)

When we got back to Times Square, it was

really hopping. They'd just conducted a

test run of the ball drop. All the media crews

were there calibrating equipment and making

sure the cues all worked. It was

fun being in the melee!

You can see the name of our hotel (Mariott) down

below the Kodak sign in the center of the shot.

Soooo....let me be the very first to wish

you a Happy New Year...with the lighted 2009

Times Square sign to affirm it!

GOD BLESS! More to come tomorrow....

First Day In New York City

2008-12-29T21:31:00.001-08:00

Well, it's 12:30 a.m. in the Big Apple. I should be in bed, but wanted to get a few pictures posted. New York, is such a GREAT city. There is no doubt that this time of the year it is at its very best. Cartier's gives you the right idea in the pic above....the city seems to wrap itself up as a gift for everyone who lives and visits here.

For ages, Lyn has wanted to ride one of the horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. Today we got to. It was a lot of fun...a beautiful winter day, full of sunshine and great memories. We shared a carriage with a mom & daughter from Aruba with these great Dutch accents. The ride ended right in front of the amazing Plaza Hotel. We went inside and explored a bit.

Here's Lyn at one of the many ornately decorated spaces in the Plaza lobby. I could have taken hundreds of photos at the Plaza alone.

This beautiful tree was tucked away in a little lobby near the hotel restaurant and bar. I thought it was gorgeous. One of the neat things about the Plaza is this conservatory-type space where they hold formal afternoon teas. Lyn sorta wanted to do it, but it was 50 bucks a person for teas and crumpets/cookies. Uh, no thanks. (But it sure was a pretty place to drink expensive tea if one were so inclined!)

I've been to many cathedrals in Europe, and I halfway expected to be disappointed in St. Patricks. I wasn't at all. It is truly a beautiful edifice. It took my breath away. It was so clean and pristine...looked like it was brand new. I was truly impressed. (Especially since I just completed--for the 2nd time--Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, all about the building of the fictional Kingsbridge Cathedral in England.) I want to go back earlier in the day to see the sunlight stream through the rose windows. Exquisite.

Tonight was incredible. After dinner at a randomly selected Italian restaurant on Restaurant Row (a very good one, by the way), we went to Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Spectacular. We saw their road version last year in LA. It was like a kindergarten show in comparison to what we experienced tonight. We were both blown away. I expected corny but was radically impressed--especially with the technology. It really upstaged the Rockettes in my opinion...or at least equalled them. I kept wishing Shane, Billy, and Curtis could have been there to see it.

This is the lobby of the Radio City Music Hall. Sooooo pretty!

This is just ONE of dozens of incredible HD-projected set designs that looked so real you would have sworn they were three-dimensional. This was supposed to be Santa's Toy Warehouse.

We ended the evening at the Top of the Rock--the 67th floor of the Rockefeller Center. I got this shot of the Empire State Building. From this distance, we were able to watch a "dress rehearsal" of the dropping of the New Years Eve ball on Times Square. It was so cool--lots of new LED technology. I took pictures and video, but don't think they'd translate well here.

It was an awesome day #1!

Off to bed!

New York--Here We Come!

2008-12-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

Well, Lyn and I both had a bout with a 24-hour bug

and we're all set for the Big Apple now!

Can't wait to see New York in December.

Lyn wants to ride one of these in Central Park.

Does look kinda fun, huh?

Central Park--walking or skating, it's so

beautiful. Looking forward to soaking

in the beauty.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2008-12-25T08:52:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of you! Lyn and I are enjoying just hanging at home sans any schedule. Slept in. Moseyed downstairs to watch TV, check email, drink wassail and just crash. It's neat to be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus without the typical Christmas "rush." (We love the rush, too. It's just cool to have a low-key Christmas Day.) The Disney World Christmas Parade is on ABC now. I'm eating a cookie and drinking coffee while the bands and floats are passing down Main Street.

Since we opened presents last Friday with all the family, the big focus of my week was Christmas Eve and the five services we had. The picture above was taken between our 3rd and 4th services last night. I wish Jennifer, Brian, and Emily could have been with us, but they're out on the high seas enjoying the holidays with all of Brian's family. (I know they're having a wonderful time!)

The pictures below are of our time with Haley and Lexi on Christmas Eve Eve (23rd) and Christmas Eve. Since we had no shopping or wrapping or last-minute panic, we were able to just chill with the girls--literally and figuratively! On the 23rd we joined the masses at Crystal Court and South Coast Plaza so the girls could ride the train and carousel. We had lunch at Ruby's. Then on Christmas Eve they spent part of the day here with Lyn while we were doing run-thrus and services at the church.

The girls enjoyed riding the "Santa Express" at

Crystal Court. Haley may only get to ride this

one more year...they have a maximum height limit.

I love this picture. I call it "Audience of One."

Haley loves music--duh--and really wanted

to listen to the carolers. She'd had a conversation

with them before they started singing. They seemed

to have fun singing to her!

Lunch was at Ruby's. The girls shared some mac & cheese.

I had a bowl of vegetable soup and Lyn had a very blah salad.

(The "blah" was my assessment....she liked it.)

Anyway, Lexi REALLY enjoyed the bumper car

on display right beside where she sat!

Then we hit the Carousel at South Coast. They

replaced the usual horses with reindeer.

Lexi looked really introspective as she rode.

On Christmas Eve, the girls hung out with

Lyn here at the house. Haley made herself

comfortable on the countertop while she

wrote Santa one last note.

Lexi enjoyed being Santa's Helper. Actually,

Mama Lyn's helper--a fresh batch of

Chex Mix was the project of the afternoon.

Before going to church, the girls posed in their

Christmas dresses. Lyn didn't realize that

Haley had her gloves on. She wears them

pretty constantly. You can tell that Lexi wasn't

feeling very well. She was dealing with a stomach virus all day.

Boo. :(

Our very best wishes to all of you for a wonderful and

blessed Christmas. I look forward to posting

from New York in a few days!

God Bless!

Family Christmas - December 19 - A Photo Recap

2008-12-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Our family Christmas was early this year, as I stated in my last post. I thought I'd share a few pictures from the big night. As you can tell, I wasn't really concentrating on photography that night. But at least you can catch a glimpse of our evening. Great fun!

The above picture shows some of the loot before all chaos hit. (Before the opening of gifts we had a wonderful dinner of basic family favorites: Honeybaked ham, potato casserole, green beans, Ceasar salad, and brown bread from Cheesecake Factory. Lots of different cookies for dessert.

I love Lexi's gift-opening technique. She looks

like she's gonna break her fingers!

Here's what she was opening--Disney's Handy Manny

Tool Box...complete with all the talking tools!

Santa came in the afternoon and left

Lexi and Haley some early packages.

Haley's big prize was an Easy Bake Oven

with lots of accessories. (Everything but

the all-important light bulb. Way to go, Nick!)

Haley and her oven. Her "mole" is a chocolate smear.

Emily and Jennifer start the opening

process for Emily's new "Elmo Live."

Brian's skills were required to get

Elmo out of his box.

Kristi sporting a new cap Lyn and I got her.

Not sure she liked it, but I think she looks cute in it!

Curtis appears to like his new Blue Ray DVD

he got. Not sure if this is RENT or Elton's

RED PIANO, but he was jazzed about both.

Mama Lyn and Emily posing with

Elmo.

This picture was taken a couple of days

later. Emily is having fun in Lyn's

"boa" scarf.

Merry Christmas to you all!!!

December 19 - AKA "Christmas at the Sewells"

2008-12-19T15:17:00.000-08:00

Yep, tonight is Christmas at our house. Jennifer and Brian leave Monday for a nice long cruise with Brian's family. Tonight's the only night that really works for us.

I'm REALLY looking forward to it...and the days to follow. I always hate the way everything "Christmas" shuts down after the 25th. Now we'll do the presents thing and still have some great "post-Christmas" fun. Of course, it doesn't hurt having New York City to look forward to on the 28th!

Post #257 - 8 Days Left!

2008-12-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

I'm very slow on the pick-up, sometimes. I just realized that Blogspot lets you know how many posts you have on your blog each time you post a new one. So, my 257th post wishes you and yours the best for the holidays.

God bless!

Cookie Day!!

2008-12-13T20:29:00.001-08:00

I ordinarily wouldn't be writing about a cookie baking day, but today was really a lot of fun. It was the first time in our newly-remodeled kitchen, and Haley was old enough to really get into the whole process. (She actually was in the thick of it for several hours, working right alongside Lyn.) Of course, Kristi and Lexi were up to their elbows in cookie dough, too!

The results of the day: sugar cookies, thumb prints, cherry winks, M&M Monster Cookies, and caramel corn.

"And what are YOU looking at?"

Haley really enjoyed the whole experience.

She worked hard all day.

Lexi had fun too--especially with the sugar cookies.

Haley and Kristi proudly displaying their

first batch of sugar cookies.

Lexi always scrunches her face up when she

poses for a picture and says "Cheeeeeeeese!"

It's really funny.

Here's a little video that captures some of

the experience of the big day!

Our Little Shepherd Girl(s)

2008-12-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

Kristi has already written a beautiful post about Haley's first experience as a Drive-Thru Nativity shepherd at our church. It was a special evening, to be sure.

I thought I'd share a few background pictures and a little video of Scene #9 in which Haley and Kristi appeared.

Signing In - Every actor has to sign in prior to

getting into costume. Kristi is showing Haley

her name on the sign-in sheet. Rosie Armstrong

had their costumes all ready for them. (Rosie's been

in charge of costumes every year that we've

lived in Huntington Beach!)

Grandma Connie is helping Haley get

"robed up." Chuck Armstrong looks on.

(Chuck is Rosie's husband--who's also

worked with Drive-Thru for many years.)

Haley was so excited to be a part of the

Drive-Thru. She was taking in every detail.

On the set between cars--Haley's looking heavenward.

Maybe she sited an angel or something. Mom

mugs a bit for the camera. Big surprise!

The scene had its own "secret service" staff.

A very efficient teenage boy was the camera Nazi.

He made SURE nobody was taking flash pictures.

He was looking out for the animals--bright lights and

sensitive farm animals' eyes don't mix well, apparently.

Thus the blurry shot. (The pic above this one was the

only flash shot I got. I was afraid the kid was gonna

stomp on my camera or have me thrown off the parking lot!)

This pic still gives you a glimpse of Haley and Kristi.

Here's a video of the scene.

Please Vote For Me

2008-12-10T20:42:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna run for governor of Illinois next year. All the other candidates will be in the slammer. (I WAS born there, and I've got the birth certificate to prove it!)

All She Wants For Christmas Is Her Daddy - Have a Kleenex handy

2008-12-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

This morning I was doing FaceBook while Good Morning America was on. This great little story came on. I watched it 2 or 3--ok, probably 10 times. It was very brief, but it choked me up. Then I searched online, and of course I found a longer version with back story. It's priceless. (Sorry about that Flip4Mac watermark across the screen.)

Oh, I mean it about the kleenex! (Especially if you're a dad.)

For All You Puppy Lovers -- Enjoy

2008-12-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

"Twelve Days of Christmas" re-visited!

2008-12-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

WATCH THIS and ENJOY!!!

If the shoe fits...sign up!

2008-12-05T08:11:00.004-08:00

A Little Trans-Siberian Christmas Moment!

2008-12-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

I wanna see TSO live! Someday!

Here's a great section of the lyric to this song ("This Christmas Day"):

So tell me Christmas
Are we kind
More this day than any other day?
Or is it only in our mind
And must it leave when you have gone away?
It's different now,
It's changed somehow,
And now you're here to stay.

A Star Wars Family

2008-12-01T15:58:00.001-08:00

Who might this Star Trooper making the

ferocious hand gesture be?

Ta-dah!

Not an android at all!

Tomorrow is Curtis' birthday. Lyn and I took him and Kristi to dinner last night after going to the afternoon performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at South Coast Repertory. (Jennifer and Brian were also at the show, but they needed to get home for the evening to have some quality "Emily Time.")

Anyway, we four went to Maggiano's and we gave him this cool star trooper hoodie for his birthday. I think he liked it!

Then a few weeks ago (for Emily's birthday) the fam went to Disneyland. Haley actually got selected to participate in the "Jedi Knight Academy" at Tomorrowland Terrace. In the video below (which I like to call "Activate/De-Activate") Haley learned the ropes of being a knight. She got her act together by the end when she met Darth Vader face to face. I just wish the video was better quality. At least you get the idea! The SW enthusiasm has been passed to another generation!

My Wii-Fit Tells Me So

2008-11-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

My recent experience on Brian and Jennifer's Wii-Fit inspired the words of this new holiday hit.

MY Wii-FIT TELLS ME SO

(To be sung to the tune "Jesus Loves Me")

I'm a lard-o, this I know,

For my Wii-Fit tells me so.

Overweight and out of shape--

Where's that old Pilates tape?

CHORUS

"You are a fatte,

Lay off the latte,

No Christmas pate!"

My Wii-Fit tells me so.

Excess pounds are such a curse

Prior to December first!

Candies, cookies, cakes ahead,

Weight loss fantasies are dead!

REPEAT CHORUS

Thank you. Thank you very much. (A sweating, out-of-breath Don flings his scarf at the audience.)

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-29T08:59:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2008 at Bruce and Connie's house!

Here's one turkey that didn't get away!

Connie always puts out a beautiful

spread. These are the "signature" tablecloths.

Since Haley arrived in 2004, we've been

signing the cloth at each Thanksgiving. After

Lexi joined us in 2006, another cloth was added.

Both girls will get their tablecloths when they

grow up. Cool, huh?

Here's Haley's and Lexi's table. Grandma Connie

made them their own pilgrim hats.

(On the backs of their chairs.)

This just in: Haley made her own at pre-school class!

She and Grandma Connie made Lexi's.

The newest little pilgrim. Emily is exploring

Connie's book collection. B & C gave Emily a

great little activity book for her birthday present.

Haley and Lexi conspiring with Grandma Connie

about something. Great Auntie Sherry looks on.

Lex and Hazel playing with Emily's Elmo!

Mama Pilgrim with the pilgrimettes. Haley's

pouring herself some Martinelli's.

Granddad Bruce carving his FIRST turkey!

He did well! And the turkey was delish!

One hungry little pilgrim. Pitiful, isn't it?

Haley and Auntie Jen working on the dishes.

(And no, Aunt Sherry's not imbibing! Only

iced tea--from Chik-Fil-A!)

"You mean I gotta wash ALL those dishes?! Hey!

I'm just a kid!"

Before everyone leaves, we sign the tablecloths.

What a fun day together!!

Talkin' Turkey

2008-11-26T15:44:00.000-08:00

In case you misplace your Thanksgiving bird,

just be aware that they are more intelligent

than usually given credit.

Speaking of turkeys . . . (do you suppose

W. insulted the bird accidentally?)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

I'm In Awe of This Woman

2008-11-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Annie Lenox. Amazing performer. Amazing musician. Amazing human being. To tell you the truth, I've never known that much about her before, even though we're of the same generation. I intend to catch up.

Her song at the American Music Awards last night was brilliant.

There are some wonderful videos on YouTube, but they can't be embedded into blogs, so you'll have to browse on your own to watch. I highly recommend!!

I Got Nothin' . . .

2008-11-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

I'm as brain-dry as an August afternoon in Death Valley. I hate leaving dangling posts--even of Christmas decorations--at the top of my blog. (You people who have those dated tag things on your blog rolls have created a kind of "accountability" which is murder on someone going through bloggers block.

Sooo, since I've got ZERO to write about, I thought I'd write about zeros.

Fascinating number, zero.

I found some "stimulating reading" on the subject this morning. I know you'll wanna thank me later.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ZERO:

"With the advent of Arabic numerals (the forerunners of the standard numerals today), zero became a necessity, especially in a base-ten system where multiples of ten are denoted by the addition of a zero (this is the most common system in today's world). The number zero as a standalone entity truly became important with the advent of algebra, [LORD, deliver me!], for often times in solving an algebraic equation, the number zero becomes a crucial element by itself, while still retaining its basic meaning--the representation of nothing.

"In truth, the idea of zero doesn't seem quite so daunting until one truly attempts to wrap their brain around what it truly means, and why it is mathematically necessary. At that point it becomes a journey into the very heart and soul of mathematical philosophy."

Still awake? I told ya you'd thank me.

Even "mathematically challenged" people like me realize that the zero is REALLY important these days with everything being digital, i.e. binary. Zeroid factoid: THERE WOULD BE NO D.V.R. WITHOUT THE ZERO!!!! The zero is my hero!

So, here's to the beauty of the zero--of nothingness. (Don't you like the pretty floral zero?)

Where would we be without the zero? I shudder to think. Even God Himself occasionally writes the "number" in the heavens (as in this solar eclipse).

So, heck, I don't feel bad at all for a "nothing" post.

P.S. If you come from a culture where the top photo is offensive, I truly apologize.

Our Christmas Look

2008-11-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

At Diane Davis' request, I'm posting a few pictures of our Christmas decorations. It was fun--therapeutic even--to get it all "purtied up" for the holidays. (I say therapeutic, considering all the remodeling mess we've been living with for the last month.) I wish all of us bloggers could get together for real for an evening of live talk, eating, and caroling around the piano. (Okay, I know the caroling thing might be a turn-off for some of you, but you can hang out around the chips and dip while the rest of us sing! :) ) Merry Christmas to all!

BTW, today is the 41st anniversary of my baptism.

A nod to yester-years.

The way we were four weeks ago.

Ho Ho Ho

2008-11-15T12:27:00.001-08:00

Yep, I know it's November 15. And I know we still have 12 days before Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, our tree is up, lit, and decorated. Bring it on all you nay-sayers and bah-humbuggers. We like Christmas...what can I say? Also, my iPod is shuffling about 300 songs I have on a single playlist. At the moment is Reba McIntyre. (Her voice is by NO MEANS my favorite, but I really like her, so I put up with the triphthongs she pronounces in every syllable she sings. "Uh-ah-ee suh-aw muh-ah-mee kee-ihs-sin Suh-an-tuh Cluh-aws . . . "

So, with all that being said, let me be the very first to wish you a Merry Christmas!!!! (Now hurry up and deck your halls!)

A For-Real "Target Lady"

2008-11-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

They really exist!

Tonight our Target cashier was so busy smelling the disposable baby washcloths we were buying that she left me to fend for myself about when to swipe my credit card. (I swiped too soon, so Lyn's coupons didn't get calculated into the purchase.) Long story short, it took twice the time to do the transaction because she had to call in "Marcella" for help on giving us credit for those coupons.

She didn't have the accent, but she definitely had "Target Lady's" enthusiasm. (She also didn't have the SNL writing staff, so the humor was negligible...but it was still comical.)

Before and After

2008-11-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm sure all of you are sick to death of hearing about our kitchen, so GOOD NEWS!! -- This is the last entry talking about it!!!

Anyway, I'm posting these before/after photos to show the dramatic change we've been blessed to experience over the last four weeks. (Demo was October 15; completion was today--November 10. That's pretty amazing, I think!) The ONLY thing left is the installation of the range hood. We can function fully without it, so for all practical purposes we're done!

____________________

The picture at the top is the way the kitchen looked when we were "house shopping" back in 2002. I think this was taken during the "walk-thru" after we had entered escrow. Anyway, it was definitely before we redecorated/painted the rest of the house.

The two pictures above show how the kitchen looked

on October 15--the morning of demolition.

This was taken about 4 hours after the

pictures above on "demo" day.

These two photos were taken this

morning. Finished at last!!!

The Granite is In and Lookin' Great

2008-11-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

Here's the crew of guys who installed

the granite countertops.

Alberto is the man in red--he's the true

craftsman here. The younger guys are

his apprentices.

That stuff is H*E*A*V*Y!!

Those are some serious suction cups

the guys have to work with.

Instant handles!

Lookin' really, really good!

The photo doesn't do it justice; this

stone is really beautiful. The guys finish it

all up tomorrow. Then Monday, the rest

of the kitchen will be complete! YEAH!!!!!!!

My little clown . . . (fish)

2008-11-07T08:05:00.001-08:00

Here's the "birthday girl" on her first outing

to the Aquarium of the Pacific--last Sunday afternoon.

She really enjoyed herself; here she and

the clownfish are having a moment.

Her 1st birthday will be Monday--Nov. 10!

Prop 8 -- As I See It

2008-11-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Millions of dollars and millions of votes invested, and Prop 8 is still with us.

What I am about to say is based upon my views of political and social reality, and not upon personal or spiritual convictions. You may well disagree with me, but I honestly think time will affirm what I'm saying.

I genuinely believe Prop 8 was destined for ultimate failure the day it was placed on the ballot. Even though it passed with a moderate majority vote (I expected a bigger one), I am quite certain that it will ultimately fail. I understand the good intentions and the "protective spirit" of the designers and financers of the proposition. The problem, however, is basic: when you craft a constitutional amendment that denies ANYTHING of a group of people, you are accelerating the vindication of that very group, and assuring the quick and unequivocal obliteration of the source of denial.

Amending a constitution--state or federal--is always extremely serious business. Technically, it's a legislative matter. But when a constitutional amendment is written that denies a right--even an assumed or questionable one--it becomes infinitely more serious. I realize that this proposition grew out of a strong resentment of supreme court justices "legislating from the bench." That resentment is understandable. But to react to that pseudo-legislation by engineering a deprivational AMENDMENT is, in my opinion, an act of desperation. At best, it is an example of naivete at the extreme.

To force God-fearing, Bible-believing people to "vote their conscience" on an amendment that has so many emotional and controversial attachments, is profoundly manipulative. Of course many, if not most of these people are going to vote FOR such an amendment, if by voting AGAINST it they would be contradicting their moral convictions. You may know or have heard about people who have expressed deep angst about the felt necessity of voting for 8, knowing what it would mean to their friends, acquaintences, and family members. However, if they truly believe that their first devotion in life must be to God, and if they genuinely believe the Scriptures to be inerrant and infallible, they really didn't have much of an option. This is why the proposition was manipulative. These people should never have been placed in such a conundrum.

One of the things that angers me the most about this proposition is the division and tension it has driven into the relationships of people who otherwise love each other deeply, but are on opposing sides of the issue. This is tragic beyond description. Hopefully, time will heal these ugly fractures.

In the grand scheme of things, I suppose, creating the proposition was unavoidable. When large groups of people feel that their grass-roots beliefs and values are being severely threatened by other groups (in this case, a smaller one), they resort to extreme measures. The alternatives: peaceful coexistence or waging battle. The folks with the power and the money chose waging battle.

So, the votes were cast, and the "victory" was won. But was it? This country is all about freedom. Increasing people's civil freedoms is much more the norm than restricting them. For goodness sake, some highly influential leaders in this country are more concerned about the civil rights of terrorists than they are about national security. So isn't it just a little silly for anyone to honestly believe that the "civil rights" of hundreds of thousands can be voted away by a bare majority?

My prediction:

Proposition 8 is going to accomplish exactly what it was attempting to prevent: it will only be a matter of time before the proposition itself is considered unconstitutional.

There are just too many people who will refuse to accept the idea that their state's constitution is going to be altered to deny them or their loved ones the same privileges and rights that others enjoy (and abuse).

Again, this post is not about the "rightness" or "wrongness" of same-sex marriage. It's about the futility of a state attempting to declare something to be "constitutionally unacceptable," while at the same time trying to comfort the "unacceptable" parties by offering clinical alternatives like "domestic partnerships." (Ironically, these partnerships legally are basically the same thing that's being denied: marriage.) Thus the question arises: if the union already exists legally, how can the same thing with a different name be considered unconstitutional ? If same-sex marriages are unconstitutional, then same-sex unions of any sort should be altogether illegal. (I'm not suggesting that, by the way; it's just the only logical and legally reasonable alternative.)

When the courts deal with the matter once and for all--and I believe Tuesday's "Yes" vote will accelerate this--millions of people will feel betrayed and will be convinced that their state (or federal) courts are legislating yet again. The truth is, however, that the tool that was designed to restore or protect traditional marriage very likely will have opened the floodgates to to the non-traditional.

These are the consequences of Prop 8 as I see them. Time will tell.

Birthday/Election Day

2008-11-04T22:24:00.001-08:00

Today was Jennifer's 30th birthday. One of the "big ones" in a person's life. It was also a very historical day for our nation. If Jen lives to be 130, she will no doubt always remember this day.

She chose to eat Japanese tonight...so the whole family went to one of Jennifer and Brian's favs for a night of family fun and celebration. In the pic above, the sisters took a moment to pose!

Our waiter was kind enough to

snap this family pic for us. Jen just

LOVED wearing the restaurant's "birthday hat!"

Emily is looking very skeptical--she HATED the hat

on her mommy! Wonder what she was thinking? :)

Is it just me, or does Kristi look kinda sinister here??

Emily had a great night--chowing on

chicken and tofu. YUMMMY! (not!)

Haley and Lexi enjoyed riding back to

Huntington Beach with Papa Don and Mamaw Lyn!

(No, they weren't in a cat fight...the red marks

on their faces are from a marker used to make

happy faces on their balloons!)

And a few more . . .

2008-11-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is my dad as a young man . . .

Curtis Robert Sewell

We won the father-son look-alike contest when

I was a little kid...I definitely see

my nose and eyes in his.

Wasn't I a cutie? Wow...stroller technology

has certainly changed over the decades!

Kristi's 3rd Christmas - (26 months)

Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, TN

Still no haircut! (I really see Lexi here!)

My all-time favorite picture of

Jennifer as a child. We lost our

copy of it...fortunately, my mother

had one in an album.

Isn't she gorgeous?!?!

BTW, she has her big 3-0 TOMORROW!!!!

Me Thru the Years

2008-11-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Guess who's been scanning pictures again? Well, I have a WHOLE bunch of them, so thought I post a few of moi (and one of my dad to show a little resemblance.) The one above was taken the year before Kristi was born. I was serving as the preaching minister at the Eau Gallie Christian Church in Melbourne, FL. (No, I'm not being robbed--this was how we used to "lead worship" back in the day of "song leading.") We moved from Melbourne to Johnson Bible College the summer of 1975; Kristi was born that October.

This picture shows my dad. Here he is

with his younger brother, Paul. This was taken

NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO! (Dad was born May 2, 1905)

These two pictures are of me in

1st and 2nd grade. Although I

wasn't the spitting image of my dad

I definitely see some similarities...

perhaps if I weren't smiling we'd look more alike.

This was my sophomore picture from

college. It got a little beat up being in

my mother's photo album.

These two pictures were taken the same

day as the one at the top. A guy in the

Eau Gallie church wanted to do a photo shoot

of Lyn and me, so these are some of the results.

I used to HATE playing Hammond organs--now

they're the hottest thing.

And here I am now...standing in front of our

"former" kitchen.

Waiting, waiting, waiting . . .

2008-11-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

OK everybody. I know everyone's still on a sugar high from all the T-O-T candy, but I'm wanting to see pictures of all the little darlings in their Halloween costumes!!!!

Let's get with it!

(Well, Curtis DID post a pic of himself on FB in his questionable Jon (from Peter Pan) nightshirt, but that doesn't fit the "little darling" criteria.)

Wow! And this ain't a Halloween costume . . .

2008-10-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

Some SERIOUS bling?!?!? "Piercing" doesn't begin to describe what this person has done to him/herself. Although I try to avoid making judgments on a person's appearance, I think I might actually pass out if I saw this man(?) on the street.

Don't you have to clean these things from time to time???? Mama mia!

My "inquiring mind" goes into action when I see something like this. How does he sleep? How does he brush his teeth? Shave? (That question makes me question gender.) Is that eye makeup? If so, how does he/she remove it? (Or even apply it?) What happens if there is an infection? What do security metal detectors do when he comes near them? Has he ever shut down an airport? Does he have no nerve endings in his face? If someone were to slap his face, who would feel it the most--slapper or slappee?

Happy Halloweenie!!!

2008-10-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

Heidi, I posted this costume suggestion for your consideration, knowing how much you LOVE weiners!!! If the Gobles and Templetons all wore one of these, you could go as a full 8-pack. That would be so cool!