I have an ongoing love-hate relationship with “the little village of Lodi,” as Paul Zimmerman referred to it regularly when writing about local events in the Lodi News-Sentinel while I…
Remember Lodi’s dancing pickle featured on Wordless Wednesday on February 26, 2008? A couple of weeks ago, this blurb appeared in the Lodi News-Sentinel’s Cop Log: A pickle — the…
I was tagged a while back to participate in this meme by Katherine Reschke. Here are the rules: 1. Link to the blog of the person who tagged you. 2.…
Those are the words that every parent fears. And for a split-second after MattieBoo uttered them in my ear this past Thursday evening, the world went dark.
He continued, “We got rear-ended on the way to the game.”
I snapped back to reality when I realized that, since he was calling me from his cell phone, he was obviously conscious and coherent.
“Are you hurt? Where are you? How are the other guys? How did it happen? How long ago?” I’m a litigator so I’m an expert at asking questions. I was rapid-firing them at the poor kid as I sought to understand what had happened, how it occurred and, most importantly, whether he was all right.
“Well, at first I told Mr. Williams I was o.k., but now my back and stomach hurt, so he canceled the game.”
That was all I needed to hear. “Put Mr. Williams on the phone.”
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.But the angel said to them, “Do…
Sandy Carlson asked me to participate in this writing exercise. The instructions: Write a paragraph next to the last paragraph in the tag that is passed to you, and add…
I took a walk this past week: Out of the office I have occupied for the past two-and-a-half years, out of the position I have held for the past three years, and out of the organization where I have worked for the past seven years. On Monday morning, I will walk into a new workplace, be assigned to a new office and areas of responsibility, and begin getting acquainted with new colleagues.
On Monday, I will begin to walk along a different professional path.
I make it my practice not to write here about my professional pursuits and coworkers, other than to reveal that I am an attorney. That will not change, but I do feel it is appropriate to note this milestone and the new direction my life path is taking.
I was blessed to have spent the past seven year performing work that was meaningful and, I believe, important. But for many reasons, it was time to move on. Fortunately, once I made up my mind, a completely unexpected new opportunity presented itself and I jumped at the chance to make this change.
Given my profession and beliefs, this story naturally caught my attention:
Nebraska state senator sues God
Injunction sought against Him for allegedly causing deaths, making threats
More…
LINCOLN, Neb. – The defendant in a state senator’s lawsuit is accused of causing untold death and horror and threatening to cause more still. He can be sued in Douglas County, the legislator claims, because He’s everywhere.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers sued God last week. Angered by another lawsuit he considers frivolous, Chambers says he’s trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.
Have you ever offered a reward to your child to encourage them to attain a goal?
A couple of years ago, my kids wanted new computers. So I made a deal with them: I agreed to buy them new computers when the school year ended — they wanted them for their summer vacation when they could play a certain game — if they achieved an agreed-upon grade point average.
All that semester, they asked me repeatedly as they proudly showed me their tests and papers that their teachers had graded and returned to them, “Mom, if I keep this up, I’m going to get my computer, right?”
“Absolutely,” I would tell them as I posted yet another “A” on the refrigerator.
I remember how their eyes lit up when the UPS truck stopped in front of the house and the driver rang the doorbell with a big smile on his face.
“Did somebody her get good grades?” he asked as he brought in the boxes.
But have you ever bribed your child to lose weight?
Sometimes “the end is in sight” at the outset.
It was when he struck up a conversation with me at work. Six years older than me, he was different from any man I had known up to that point in my life. He was handsome, intriguing, charismatic . . . and, as my coworkers had to point out, flirting with me. He was someone I could never “take home to mother”. Besides, I was still pining for someone else.
We interacted casually for a few weeks, our conversations gradually becoming personal and revealing. I understood that he was recently divorced and had a three-year-old son.
I was naive, inexperienced and oblivious so a friend explained that he was pursuing me. I had never before been “chased”.
Eventually, my defenses worn down, I agreed to a date and the relationship progressed. I knew that it would, of necessity, end, but I didn’t know when so I told myself that, in the meantime, I could just relax and enjoy spending some time with him. We never talked about long-term commitment.
My mother-in-law died suddenly in May 2002 at the age of 82. The sheriff showed up at the front door holding her wallet and keys, and notified BigBob that the neighbors had called 911 earlier in the day when she did not answer the phone, doorbell or open the shades.
To say that we were shocked is an understatement. The day before she had driven #1Son to school after he spent the night at her house with her.
We need some of her wishes, but not all. She had indicated a preference for cremation and no viewing, plus she had made clear that she did not want a schmaltzy organ-with-loads-of-vibrato sort of funeral service. Past that, we had to figure out how best to say our good-byes and celebrate her life. To be perfectly accurately, BigBob, as her only child, had that responsibility. Our role was to support him.
Note: The first part of this story about the social function is totally true and happened a few years ago. The Flash Forward section is an addendum and reflection. I really don’t talk to pictures on the wall. Ahem …
He was drunk.
In the Presbyterian Church no less. You know the one. Swanky, elegant, rich old-money-in-the-middle-of-town-prestigious-kinda-church. And in the sacred basement that night?
Speed-dating. Round tables. Too much perfume. And a perky little woman with an annoying bell. I was game. After all, what could go wrong in a church?
Here are the rules: There are twelve white linened tables with burning candles and refreshments. You choose one and sit down. Male across from female. When the bell rings, you’re off! Introductions and more sweaty palms. I so hate that. The bell rings again and you rotate to the next waiting gentleman caller.
As I mentioned previously, on July 15, 2007, I was honored to spend the day with Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway at the Master Class in Napa. The way such a class works is this: The first portion of the class is a general lecture and group warm-up. Those desiring to be “participants” submit a professional-quality recording in advance and Sir James selects four players to whom he will give instruction while the audience members — “auditors” — watch and learn.
JHSEsq attended the Master Class in Napa with Sir James Galway
Based upon the various videotapes of other classes that I have watched, as well as interviews, information posted on his website and the e-mails that Sir James sends to our discussion group, I knew that the opportunity to attend the class represented a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from a world-class flutist who has no equal.
“It was a dark and stormy night” here in Northern California. The drive from Lodi to San Rafael in the late afternoon wasn’t bad, but the drive back home to Lodi was miserable because of the steady, hard downpour which made it extremely difficult to see and fairly treacherous since portions of the freeway were beginning to develop standing water since so much water was coming down quickly. In short, it was a miserable trip.
If you get too caught up in the mechanics of doing something, you lose the simple joy of the experience.
Have you ever gone to an amusement park with someone who was enthralled with the way the park was laid out, entranced by the technology of the rides, obsessed with the way in which crowd control measures are implemented?
I have. It’s not a fun experience for us “average Joes” who just want to scream when the roller coaster dips, make Dumbo go up and down or the teacup spin faster, or snap a photo or two of the parade down Main Street.
This past week, two deaths came to my attention.
They occurred under distinctly different circumstances and at opposite ends of the spectrum of life, but both had the same result: Loved ones were left behind to mourn and those folks are the focus of this article. We all need to light a candle for them today.
I have a very good friend of more than thirty years who is single (divorced). She recently went through an unfortunate break-up with a guy she really cared about and…
“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done.”
~ C.S. Lewis ~
Why do we have to start from scratch every morning in exercising our faith? That’s the question this quote made me ponder.
Two thoughts keep coming to me. The first is a cliche, but true: Every day is a blank slate. And that cuts both ways.
Two weeks ago, I wrote here about my friend who was nearing the end of her days here on earth. She did cross over into eternity last Saturday, June 30, 2007, and this past Saturday I attended the memorial service held in her honor.
I knew the woman in question for about as long as I can remember — at least since seventh grade — but we were never real close friends. We hung out in the same circle of friends, but did not seek each other out individually. Whenever “the gang” was gathered together, we were both there. And we kept up to date on each other’s lives via the other members of our group with whom we both interacted individually. We were always happy to see each other, though. Friendships often work this way.
How do you pray for others? Do you pray for a specific result?
For instance, if you have a friend or family member who is ill, do you pray that they “get well,” “recover fully” or use similar verbiage?I took a class on prayer a few years ago and the facilitator taught us something very simple, but profound. We say the Lord’s Prayer which includes the words “thy will be done” but we otherwise don’t seem to pray that way. Instead, in prayer, we say things like “let me get that job or raise or . . .” or “please help ______ get better soon” or “please give me . . .” Garth Brooks sang about lost love and, of course, many of us recited all too often the familiar words, “please make ______ love me . . .”
In reality, what we should always pray, according to that teacher, is a request that the Lord’s will truly be done. That’s a harder thing to do because it requires us to step outside of our self and self-centeredness to surrender to another’s will. That’s a hard thing to do, especially if you are a Type A person who is used to being in charge of your own destiny and unaccustomed to giving up control about major aspects of your own life.