Another Beautiful Day

Christmas Ponderings

2011-12-26T11:08:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Brown's!

Taylor, Collin, Kristen & Rick
Christmas 2011

It's been a while since I've updated this site. Over the past couple of months I've had a few comments about my silence on this page. Frankly, it surprised me that anyone checks it for new updates... and it made me feel good!

Time sure does get away from us, doesn't it? We've been incredibly busy over the last 12 months, and I have neglected writing. Perhaps I'll make that one of my New Year's Resolutions for 2012...to make the time to enjoy writing. Wait, I forgot. I don't set New Year's Resolutions - I have a strict policy against those pesky little promises to self that always leave me feeling like a loser.

Oh, speaking of New Year's Resolutions, here's something for my dad.

He loves Calvin & Hobbes.

2011 has been packed full of fun highlights. God has blessed us and without a doubt, I credit HIM for all of it. My sometimes melancholy nature steps up and I wonder why we've escaped tragedy this past year when so many of our friends and acquaintances have experienced dark days. Fairness certainly doesn't show up in real-life scenarios. I'm reminded of a scripture that my Grandad lived by, and as such, left as part of his legacy.

"When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." Luke 12:48

This makes me think about the way God helps those who are hurting. Those of us who have able resources, even just a little bit, must step up to the plate. We are the way God is going to help our neighbor, our friend in the next town, a child in another country. No one summed this concept up any better than Rich Stearns in his book "The Hole in Our Gospel."

If you are looking for a (non)New Year's Resolution, I highly recommend reading this book.

In thinking about my past year, I see learning moments scattered about. Places I've been and things I've seen and heard. And up close, I can't see anything except the emotions of those moments. I see the thrill, the sadness, the boredom, the frustration, the elation. Words from a Sunday School teacher, themes from the books I read. People I admired have been doing for others, ahead of themselves. Stories of love, inspiration, and remembrance shared at the funerals I've attended.

All these moments have been colliding together in a kaleidoscope of lessons over the year. I've been seeing the blurry colors and shifting patterns of those moments. And yes, it's been beautiful. But now it's coming into focus for me. There has been a common theme that God seems to have been teaching me.

Intentional living.

Something I've lacked. Something I've admired in others. Something I'd like to have more of.

You know what I'm talking about. How many times do we see someone in need and have a GREAT idea to help them out. But then the moment passes and we get busy with the other things that we need to do. Tasks at work, laundry at home, even responsibilities at church. Well, you've probably already learned this lesson. But for me, I'm just now seeing it.

I'm never at a loss of ideas. When I know of someone in need, the thoughts of how I might help literally pour out of my conscience. But then they never get acted upon because I'm just not INTENTIONAL.

Being intentional about following through could make a huge difference in the world. Who do I think GAVE me that thought of how I could help out? Could it be God? I pray and ask God to help someone in need...a thought comes to my mind of something I could do... and then SPLAT! I let it drop. Because I'm not intentional.

Back to the scripture that Granddad lived - I've been given SO much. I've been entrusted with SO much. This season of my life has been blessed. What do I think God expects of me in return? The kaleidoscope journey of the last year comes into focus and I know the answer.

I will live the answer.

With God's help, I will become more intentional with others. I will follow through with the actions that I know could make a difference.

Holy Moly, that sounds like a New Year's Resolution. Nooooo, it can't be! Because as Calvin says in the cartoon above "I'm perfect the way I am!"

What I Want for Christmas...

2010-11-28T09:24:00.000-06:00

So the Holiday Season is here. I loved my long Thanksgiving weekend, but am not sure I'm ready for the madness that accompanies the next few weeks.

I was completely content before this weekend... don't really have any needs or wants at all. But being bombarded by all of the Black Friday ads and watching people out shopping and seeing on facebook all of the "good deals" my friends got - well, it's hard not to get swept up in the frenzy.

We did venture out on Friday - enjoyed dinner out with the boys and got to hear all about their recent trip to Rome. We laughed together and it was one of the best times I've had in a long time! It runs a close second to my most favorite place on the planet: Barnes & Noble! They left me there and went to research a vehicle purchase that is looming on our horizon. I selected a stack of books and settled in to peruse them, peering up now and then to observe the shoppers coming and going. What I noticed mainly was the new outfits so many seemed to be wearing - it seems that half the store was decked out in their Black Friday purchases. One teenage girl even had the sticky strip still running down the leg of her new skinny jeans! She paraded around while I battled the dilema of "do I tell her, or do I let someone else tell her?" Just as I decided to get up and tap her on the shoulder, another gal-pal joined her and they turned the corner off into the self-help section in a giggling frenzy. (Teenagers looking for self-help books? Goodness-gracious!)

I digress.

My point is that I'm trying not to be swept into the consumerism this season. Yes, there are some things I want - (new cup towels, W's new book, and a maid to come every 4 weeks) - but here's the deal. There's nothing wrong with the old cup towels I have now. And W's new book will be in the Library soon. And the maid? Well, if I really wanted the kitchen floor mopped, I'd do it myself.

The Advent Season is upon us, and I'm challenging myself to focus more upon doing for others this Season than for myself. (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/) . It seems that I'm always suprised when I do something for others - without a doubt, the feeling that comes from it is almost addictive! I'm not kidding about this - there is a deep joy that is better than any cup towel, new book or maid that I could ever pay for.

Case in point: on Thanksgiving morning, Rick and I participated in a project spearheaded by a friend of ours. Sharon cooked a homemade Thanksgiving dinner in her own kitchen for almost 200 people. Volunteers boxed the plates up and delivered to those on the Meals on Wheels lists for the Lake area and Athens. (They received frozen dinners earlier in the week to get them through the holiday weekend, so these were a wonderful gift.)

Rick and I had about 12 meals on our list to deliver. It was raining. And cold. But the food was hot, and what we encountered along the way warmed us up. This little old couple - first on the list - live way out in the country. The house was obviously the same one they had lived in for years upon years. Rick quickly noticed and began commenting on the little things that the man had done over the years. The tools hanging in his garage told a story of his handiwork. The crepe myrtles, now overgrown and untrimmed, stood stoicly in place on either side of the driveway - obvious to Rick's eyes that the location had been carefully selected a loooong time ago and planted with care. The car parked in the garage, collecting dust, hadn't been driven lately and I found myself wondering if there had been a battle when the kids took away the keys. Or were there any kids? Why were they here alone on Thanksgiving morning and not with their family? There was a story to be told, and I wish we could have taken the time to hear it.

The tiny shrunken woman sat in her housecoat in the recliner, oxygen tubes snaking up her side. The tv blared in front of her, but her full attention was on me. I walked over to her and gently grasped her hand, hoping I wouldn't hurt her paper-thin skin. The grip she returned suprised me. As I looked into her face, I felt everything around me fade away. The blaring tv receeded into the background. Rick had disappeared into the kitchen with the old man and it was just me and Mrs. R.

We held gaze for a few seconds as she thanked me and wished all of God's blessings on me. I felt like in that single moment... I knew her, and she knew me. We were linked briefly, complete strangers, crossing a bridge together, looking down into the valley of years gone by, and then looking up into the distant unknown stretching before us.

I let go before she did, and retreated back towards the door. Duty called, and we had hot meals getting cooler by the minute in the backseat. She again called out God's blessings for us and Rick wrapped up his moments with her husband.

We walked down the hall, let ourselves out the garage door and dodged the raindrops that were beginning to fall. Silence fell as we sat in the car looking at each other, quietly assessing our emotions. Rick put it in gear and we drove down the drive as those two ancient crepe myrtles watched us slowly fade away.

I told a friend yesterday that I feel like I saw the face of God in that little old lady's eyes. My friend said "maybe you did."

And the JOY that I felt from serving that little old couple puts to shame any joy that I could feel over a new outfit, a book on my list, or even a maid. And the things that last in this world aren't things we can buy for our friends or family. It's fun to give gifts, and I'm not knocking that at all.

I'm just saying that the things that last, that really matter, that make us who we are...

Those are the things I want for Christmas.

And We're Off

2010-09-21T07:46:00.001-05:00

I've been pretty silent lately - simply because our lives have been so incredible exhausting. Sometimes in the last few weeks, I've felt that I might have a complete and utter breakdown, simply from the mock speed we function at. Last night was a close call... but the threat of puffy eyes in the morning kept me stoic.

Today, we depart for California. We'll be in a training class at PPD headquarters. That's Rick's line of business, credit card processing. I'm getting in on the action because I'm bored and am looking for more responsibility. Yea, right.

Nevertheless, we'll be seeing people that we speak with on the phone almost daily. That will be nice. And I'm going to learn some things that will be helpful in supporting Rick's business.

Wouldn't you know that I already have 3 funerals lined up for while we are gone? Thankfully, my dad is in charge of the outside piece and Lauren, in the inside, doesn't need my help anyway! But I still feel guilty leaving with so much going on.

And then there's Roxie. The pooch. Something is wrong with her, she's in pain and won't go up or down the stairs. She just looks at me to pick her up and deposit her where she wants to go. Linda... I know you're reading this. Take good care of her. I absolutely hate leaving when I'm not sure what's wrong with her. If only our pets could talk to us!

Well that's all the round-up I have time for. You don't get anything else... Maybe I'll be inspired upon returning and write something really witty and insightful.

Ta-ta.

Return

2010-08-16T17:21:00.001-05:00

It's Monday, and with that is a Return to lots of things.

Return.... of Craig to the USA. I've been calling him every hour, since I'm not sure when he actually gets home. Maybe he's back already and just hasn't turned his phone on yet. I'm so anxious to hear his voice. Thank you to all my friends who prayed for his safe travels and for blessings on the mission trip.

Return...from a fun weekend in Dallas. Mom and I spent time with Carolyn in Dallas this weekend. We tore up the town and had SO much fun. We were introduced to YogurtLand - OMG is all I can say about it. It was so good, and I loved that we could make our own creation and just pay by the ounce. Pistachio with toasted almonds was my favorite, although toasted coconut was a close second. We also saw Eat, Pray, Love and enjoyed it thoroughly. Carolyn had the pleasure of hosting Elizabeth Gilbert at the DMA and shared that Elizabeth was by far, one of her favorite authors to work with. The movie followed pretty closely the book - that is something that usually doesn't happen. In the picture below, we have just finished eating a wonderful breakfast of omelettes prepared by a chef at their apartment building.

And this is a picture of the dash of Carolyn's car as we drove around Dallas Saturday. 117 degrees??? C'mon! I'm sure that isn't entirely accurate, but it sure felt like it!

Return...from the land of the Armyworms! OK, last week was a nightmare, courtesy of those little squiggly guys with army hats and flack jackets. We were warned on Monday, but they didn't arrive until Tuesday morning. Once here, they invaded rather quickly. After much searching, and with the help of Uncle Lee, we found a 60 gallon sprayer in Mineola. Rick brought it back to Athens Monday night where we quickly discovered that the height of the sprayer arms wouldn't clear the flower vases on the memorials. So we started the laborious process of removing the flower vases. Lee to the rescue... at about 10pm he and Rick headed over to Red Dot and had the shop build a piece that attached to the sprayer to raise the arms high enough. Success! Armando started spaying Wednesday morning while Sammy put back into place the vases I had lowered the night before. Wednesday is spent searching for a replacement pump, all the while the Army continues to invade and attack our precious turf. Finally, Thursday arrives and all problems are resolved. We spray. The major blessing in all of this is that there was not a funeral last week. A funeral, while providing much needed revenue, would have been a mess with Armyworms climbing all over the feet of our guests!

Return...of Rick from prison! Rick spent Saturday with the men at the Beto Unit. He came back sharing some wonderful updates and stories of hope and renewal amongst the men that he met with. We are looking forward to another Kairos weekend at Beto in November.

Return to the projects I've been putting off...Every Monday I feel a return in motivation to tackle the projects I've been putting off at work. Once again, that is how I felt this morning. Refreshed and ready to tackle several things. Fast forward...It's 5:15pm now on Monday, and that motivation has slowly slipped away. It's starting to look like I'm going to have to wait until next Monday to feel the motivation again.

I'm ready for the weekend! :)

2010-08-06T10:46:00.000-05:00

I've been silent for a few weeks on my blog. Probably because I just have nothing to say! In fact, I don't even have a title for this post.

Sometimes I go through periods of silence in my life. Maybe you do to. Times when we are so busy with work and schedules that we just put ourself in "sustain" mode and go. While I'm busy doing everything that needs to be done, I also somehow remove myself from the "grid" and hide at home when the day is done. I hope my friends are still out there when I emerge from the cave!

You can ask Rick...Over the last few weeks, even Tuesday Night Date Night has been at home. I just haven't wanted to go out or do extra stuff. Maybe it's a bit of the Summertime Blues. This summer has gotten so hot and long....I'm ready for the seasons to change. God knew what he was doing when he created the seasons, because I'm ALWAYS ready for it when it arrives. Now, if He could only make our Texas fall start a little bit earlier...

To wrap up, let me just list a few things going on:
1. My brother is arriving in Uganda tonight for his mission trip with E-3 Partners. I'm sure he's already exhausted with the travel that began yesterday, through Detroit and Amsterdam. Mom and I will spend next weekend with Carolyn - going to have some girl time to keep her company. A trip to the Apple store, Barnes & Noble, and a movie are sure to be on the list.

2. Sadness in my heart over the passing of Brother Bond. He was the pastor at FBC Athens for years, and was a dear friend of the family. Marion and the kids...we love you and are praying for comfort.

3. Website - Cornerstone is getting an overhaul, thanks to the folks at Clever Mutt. More to come on that... meanwhile, I think they are waiting on me to provide some more information. Yuck. I hate the ball being in my court!

4. Learning more and more about the Faith Based Wing at the George Beto Unit in Tennessee Colony. They now have about 500 inmates living out their faith, doing Bible Study and trying to make a difference in the way they live. Over the last 3 years, the program has had 111 inmates released through parole. Only 1 has come back to prison. How is that for a recidivism rate? Completely blows the TDJ rate of 70% out of the water! We are good friends with Casey Miner who runs the program at Beto, and it's always encouraging to talk to him about what's happening, so I just wanted to share that with you!

Ok, I'm done for now.
That's all, folks. (Say that to yourself in your best Porky Pig voice.)

Celebration Time

2010-07-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

Family truly is something to be celebrated.

I am extremely fortunate to have a close knit family. As a child, my parents found it important to build frequent "family outings" into our schedule. I have wonderful memories of those Saturday Family Outings when we would take turns getting to decide on the outing. I remember one time we walked the railroad tracks (I think that was my idea) and picked up those big nail things that are sometimes loose on the tracks. Other fun outings were camping, wading in the creek, playing baseball in the street with a stick and pine cones for the balls, building the world's largest see-saw out of fallen trees...

Now that Craig and I are grown and have families of our own, it seems more special when we are all able to squeeze in time together for another "family outing." I'm especially aware that we are not guaranteed another day together in this present life. Each day is a gift from God, and we must treat it as such. Perhaps in my business of burying people and working with grieving families I'm more sensitive to that fact.

Craig recently celebrated a momentous occasion in his life, and our family converged again for another family outing. Yes, folks... my brother is officially over the hill! Goodness, I remember when 40 seemed ancient. You start falling apart at 40, right? Well. Cough. A-hem. I'm 36 now, and all of a sudden, 40 doesn't seem to be that old at all!

Back to the family outing... Rick chauffeured me and the parentals to Dallas last Friday night to celebrate Craig's generational advance. We met at his new apartment in Republic Tower, in downtown Dallas. The grand tour was indeed impressive - their new home is absolutely beautiful! It felt so grown up! Standing in their elegant living room, overlooking the bright & bustling city below, I self-conciously compared it to our little Athens farm house, unsophisticated and country as it is. Yes, I love my little farm house (crickets and all.) But I REALLY LOVE Craig and Carolyn's place. It makes me want to hold my pinkie out as I sip a cup of tea and say, "This is soooo faaaabulous, daaahhling!"

So in the celebratory spirit of the occassion, allow me to post some of my favorite pictures from the evening!

First up.... Craig, next to his obligatory sign announcing the occasion.

This is the rooftop of their apartment building, The Republic Tower. We were fortunate to be the only ones up there for most of the evening. The pool became ground zero for most of our antics.

As I said... antics. C'mon everybody, let's do the limbo!!!

I'm not sure what was happening here. Rick must have gotten too close to CW's territory. But in all truth, if it weren't for Rick, that crazy grill wouldn't have gotten lit. Silly buttons on the wall masquarading as light switches couldn't fool Rick for too long. It did have us wondering for a while if we'd be eating hamburgers "a la sushi" style!

And whatever they're laughing about sure must have been funny. I think Rick is so adorable in this picture! He LOVES to laugh!

This is our favorite picture! Dad's trying to count to 40, Mom and Carolyn are holding up "4-0" and Rick and I are aging Craig up to "5-0!"

Uh-oh. Mom's had too much to drink. She's going in for a swim! Lay off that Diet Coke, will you mom?

Goodness gracious. I'm telling you, we can't take her anywhere!!!

See what I mean? She's trying to knock me backwards into the water. It just might have happened until she realized her phone was still in her pocket. She seemed to straighten up then.

So we started acting a little bit more sane... Carolyn is a good influence on us! We were showing off our white legs.

Meanwhile, back over at the grill station, Craig is having a down moment. It's hard knowing that half your life is already lived.... cheer up, Craig. We're here to support you all the way into the nursing home!

Dad focuses back on the task at hand. He grilled angus burgers and chicken... I think it was the best hamburger I've ever had! We ate overlooking 35 stories of downtown and laughing together about past memories and future dreams. London 2012, right guys?

After dinner, we pulled our chairs up to the west window to see the sun set, big and fat, over the city.

And back inside, we took a nice family portrait of Craig, Carolyn and Regalo next to the birthday banner. When we were kids, mom sewed each of us a banner. I remember getting to pick out the iron-on decals from Discount City in Jacksonville. Craig was aiming for his Eagle Scout award, so that's probably where his Eagle came from. I, on the other hand, chose a decal with a couple of squirrels building a giant ice cream cone. Mom was always faithful to break out the banners during the week of our birthdays. It always made us feel special as kids. And still does as adults!

And then we had birthday cake. Always the best part of any party!

So now you have it. The Bess Family Capers. I hope there are many more to come.

Trip to St Louis....

2010-07-08T15:49:00.001-05:00

Last Friday, I drove mom and dad to St Louis for a surprise birthday party for dad's sister Jean. We had a great drive up there, stopping for the night in Arkansas, and having fun at a rest stop along the way. Yes, the Bobbsey Twins are back!

The party was at my cousin Cheryl's house.

She has a great backyard that was setup with picnic tables and games. Aunt Jean arrived, thinking it was just going to be 4th of July BBQ with some friends. She had no idea that all of her siblings would be there! The only one missing was Uncle Richard - we missed having him there.

Aunt Jean was very surprised when she stepped into the backyard!

Here is dad with the birthday girl.

Below are my four aunts:

Louise, Carolyn, Doris, and Jean

And here are all of the 8 kids in the Bess family. Left to right:

Ball (Uncle Richard), Carolyn, CW, Louise, Lyndell, Jean, Darrell, Doris

And then the obligatory funny picture!

This is Aunt Jean with my two cousins, Valerie and Cheryl. Because of the modern wonders of Facebook, I've had the chance to get to know my cousins better. It was great to see them!

One final picture of all the siblings.... This is from 1963. Dad said it was taken just before he left for a mission assignment in Hong Kong. Grandma and Grandpa are in the center at the back with the corsages. Grandpa died before I was born, so I never got to know him. But Grandma was the best, especially with chicken & dumplings, homemade bread & frozen ding-dongs.

Front row, Left to Right: Doris, Louise, Jean, Carolyn

Back Row: Dad (CW), Lyndell, Grandma, Grandpa, Darrell, Richard

The drive back was uneventful, with the exception of one fatal flaw. I ran over a huge snake on this little County Road. And what made it so bad was that I had JUST rolled my window down and put my arm outside. Then the snake happened, and I was really wigged out that I had snake-guts on my arm and my car. Turns out, I didn't, but the heebie-jeebies stayed with me for a while.

Rick asked me if I would have rather run over a bunny rabbit. After thinking that over, I decided that I would! At least that way I would just be sad, but probably wouldn't have the residual aftershocks of the creepy-crawly's.

I'm quite aware that this blog is quite boring for anyone except my family, so I'll sign off now. But for my family that is reading it, especially the Besses in Missouri, know that I love you and am glad we traveled to St. Louis! Maybe next time, you can come to Athens. We have lots of room available between mom and dad's house, my house, and a fishing cabin down the road. So consider a visit down our way!

Highlights of Honduras

2010-06-24T17:53:00.001-05:00

It's simply impossible to summarize the experience from our trip to the House of Hope. There are so many moments that I cannot express adequately, so the following pictures will have to suffice. Thanks to each of you that supported us in prayer while we were gone. We are glad we went, and glad to be home safely.

Below are the 3 highschool guys at the airport in Houston, waiting on our outbound flight. On the left are Rustin and John, returning to Honduras for the 2nd year. Collin, on the right, is on his first trip to the House of Hope. In total, there were 12 of us that traveled.

Below is just a fun shot from the mall (yes, mall) in La Ceiba. I didn't know we owned a sporting goods store! After landing in San Pedro Sula, we took a 3 hour van ride to La Ceiba to spend the night. The stop at a mall was our last bit of modern civilization for a while. We ate at Applebees, listened to their 80s radio music and reminisced about all things 80s. (He-Man, Garbage Pail Kids, UnderRoos...you get the picture)

This is the 18 passenger plane we took from La Ceiba to Puerto Lempira. It was much nicer than the one I remembered from 2 years ago, but still not much fun if you don't like prop planes. After about a 90 minute flight, we landed on a dirt runway with armed guards that meet the plane. Drugs are very prevalent in this area. In fact, it's known as Cocaine Coast because of the drug smuggling. Hence, the guards.

Below is a group picture of all of the children. Katrina, standing in the green, is telling them to sing "Jesus Loves Me" for a video camera. They sang it in English, Spanish, then Moskito. We tried desperately to upload the video to an email and send back to our church, but to no avail. Our hope was that it could be played in Children's Church that Sunday while we were gone. However, internet in Puerto Lempira is spotty as best, and while the local "internet cafe" had DSL, we were unsuccessful in getting the email to send.

Collin is mesmerizing the children with a magic trick of disappearing coins. They couldn't get enough of it! I was kind of surprised that the pieces to this trick survived the trip and didn't end up in a child's pocket.

Watch the video below to see Collin entertaining the children with his juggling skills.

The next group of pictures are the construction project that the men worked on. At the landing strip (it's hard to call it an airport), there was a dilapidated building. Katrina petitioned the Mayor and was able get the City to let her turn it into a store for the paralyzed divers. One of Puerto Lempira's industries is lobster-diving, and most of the local divers do not wear protective scuba gear. When they come up from the floor of the ocean to fast, many of them become paralyzed. They then lose their ability to produce income and must turn to handicrafts to try and support their family. The building that our team began enclosing and re-roofing will house a "souvenir shop" of sorts for travelers to purchase handmade items like jewelry and purses. They will also sell snacks. Our men installed a new tin roof, enclosed the walls, and ran plumbing lines for bathrooms and showers. One of the paralyzed divers will live at this store as well. In Honduras, if you leave anything - I mean anything - unattended, it will sprout legs and walk off. So this structure will also become a residence.

The picture below is Katrina standing in Jose's house, at the table he uses for making jewelry. Jose will be one of the men that will stay at the new store. His current house is not much larger that what you see in this picture. Just a tiny room with room for his wheelchair and his table. Jose is very excited about this project. He sends money that he earns to his son that is in college in Nicaragua, and knows that his potential for earning more income will increase when the new store is open.

Here I am sifting rice with 2 of the girls. Rice is a staple of almost every meal, and icky things have to be sifted out of it before cooking. Apparently, mice like to play in the bags of rice...

Carol is holding a hydrocephalus baby. If I recall correctly, the mother is on the Milk Program that Katrina runs. There are over a hundred mothers on this program that come to the House of Hope at scheduled intervals to get milk. They are not healthy enough themselves to produce milk, so the powdered formula literally saves lives of these babies. They do not believe that this baby has brain damage, so that is great.

Our "Sisters in Service" (a group of women at our church) send money to the Milk Program every year. The picture below is Larry presenting a substantial sum to Katrina for the program. She was overjoyed!

And below is Charlotte supervising a game of "memory." It started out organized but quickly became mass confusion. They had fun, and Charlotte tried her best to keep the game going smoothly. I'm pretty sure we did NOT end up with all the pieces going back into the box. Oh well! This picture is taken in the kitchen area of the guest house. Over the past couple of years, the guest house was constructed by our group and other groups to house the volunteers. Before it was completed, we would sleep in the dorm with the kids at the main house. Let me tell you, it is a whole new world having your own bed in a separate house! The guest house has 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths and sleeps up to 18 in bunk beds.

Below, Sharon is cleaning teeth in the newly constructed dental clinic on site. Dr. Tom Brian, who founded "Send Hope" (the non-profit that supports the House of Hope,) frequents the clinic several times a year to offer his dental services. Since Sharon is a hygienist, she had made arrangements to spend some time in this manner as well. What a great thing!

This next series of pictures are from our day traveling to the Islands. We took a boat to three different islands to deliver notebook paper and school supplies to the children. These children received notebook paper from our group the past 2 years in a row, and this outing has fast become one of the highlights of each trip to Honduras. Katrina told us that the school children will write on the paper in pencil, then erase everything and reuse the paper over and over again. Once they run out of paper, it's gone. Pondering this really puts things into perspective! Back home, we will waste a sheet of paper so quickly. These children let nothing go to waste. (Their culture is much better stewards of the environment than we are.)

As we were approaching the island, the children would come running to meet us at the shore. Katrina had broadcast on the radio the day before so that they would be expecting us. School was recessed for the event, and the whole village came out to see us. Of course, everyone knew Katrina. She's a legend everywhere she goes.

They formed lines while our boys passed out notebooks. The teachers received bags with supplies in it like markers, crayons, pens, and glue.

This is a typical residence. You can see Collin and John in the front handing out the notebooks. The lady that lived here was ill, and had been for quite some time. Sharon shared that she had met the lady last year on this same trip to the islands and she was still gravely ill.

I'm wearing a rain poncho - it POURED on us for much of the time. I was grateful for the poncho, but felt a little bit ridiculous at the same time. I think the kids thought it was frivolous.

At the next island, we delivered the supplies and then were treated to coconuts. The video below is amazing... watch how quickly the boy climbs to the top of the tree!

The teacher whipped out his machete (a tool everyone has) to chop holes in the coconut so that we could drink the milk. Young coconuts are yellow - You don't get the brown ones that we are used to seeing until they mature. The milk from the young coconuts tastes very unique, almost like cola. It has a sweet fizz to it and kind of "pops" in your mouth.

The one I'm drinking is an older coconut, and the milk is not fizzy.

On our boat trip back to Puerto Lempira, we stopped at the home of James and Paula Anthony. They are missionaries with Global Outreach International. While we visited with them, some of our group found a swimming hole to cool off in!

Ok, in the video below, you'll see how COOL these little "touch-me-nots" were. They grow on the ground and the second you touch them, they shrivel up. We had more fun playing with them!

Upon returning back to the House of Hope, Rustin had a birthday surprise waiting on him. In honor of his 18th birthday, the children decided to crack eggs on his head and cover him with sawdust, then pelt him with water balloons. Nice, eh? Remind me NEVER to celebrate my birthday in Honduras!

He was such a good sport about it though, we rewarded him nicely with a rather large piece of cake. Good job, Rustin! You were a much better sport than I would have been! (By the way Rustin, I have a nice video of the egging if you want it!)

Our time drew to a close on Wednesday evening. We left for the airport about 5am Thursday. In years past, some of the children have made their way down to the airport to see us off. So we were all a little disappointed that they didn't make it this time. Had I known that, I would have taken some extra time Wednesday night to say goodbye. Little Edius was my special angel on this trip. I regret not being able to say goodbye properly.

A little story about this guy... During the trip, I learned that a friend of ours had passed away. Erin is my age, and had bravely battled cancer for 17 months. She passed away on Monday during our trip, leaving behind her husband Jon and 4 beautiful children. The news hit me pretty hard, and I felt lonely being away from family during this time. Our cemetery handled the arrangements, and that made it more difficult to not be there to help with those details. On one evening I was feeling sad about Erin. I sat down on the concrete step and just couldn't hold the tears back anymore. And get this...little Edius came running across the yard and skidded to a stop, landing in my lap. He took one look at my tears, wiped them away and kissed my cheek. There was no verbal communication, only the tenderness expressed in his touch.

How incredibly amazing... I set out on a mission to serve and give to others. And yet somehow, this little impish-grinning, toothy smiling, muddy little 6 year old touched my heart with his kindness.

I guess I was the one who really received the gift.

We're back!

2010-06-21T17:35:00.000-05:00

We returned from the House of Hope in Puerta Lempira, Honduras, late Friday night.

Thank you for your prayers while we were gone! We had no major mis-haps and found the trip full of blessings over and over again.

God has a special place in his heart for these children, and I feel honored to have been with them for a week. They are so precious. Everytime I would find myself getting tired or frustrated or overwhelmed, I would remind myself of how God is especially fond of these little ones. That thought somehow would give me the boost to keep on keeping on.

I did bring back a Honduran illness, however... so I've been down for a couple of days. But below is a picture of what I would have rather brought home with me. Isn't his smile cute??? This is Edius. I have no idea how to spell his name, I'm just spelling it phonetically. Two years ago we called him Pedro! (Katrina, if you read this, please post a comment as to how to spell his name!Thanks!)

I will write about the trip when I'm feeling better. But for now, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures. Below is Rick and Umana, one of the girls we met 2 years ago. She has grown, and is doing very well!

Below is Collin, with Tiersa, Edius (my favorite little guy) and his brother Arnold. Collin is showing them a magic trick with disappearing coins.

I am working on my write-up of the trip, but am still decompressing from it. Had to jump right into work mode today with two funerals, plus all the catchup work to do. Hopefully, I'll have a full report online in the next week.

If you are on facebook, you can see all of the pictures uploaded to my page there. I'll put some short video clips up as well on my facebook site. http://www.facebook.com/kristenbrown123

Working on a Sunday night...

2010-06-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

This is my view right now.

Pathetic. I'm at the office. It's 9:30pm on a Sunday night and I'd rather be at home.

So I'm going to do a short exercise in counting my blessings. Here goes:

1. I have a job. More than that, I'm the boss, so I can come in late tomorrow if I want.

2. We leave for Honduras Wednesday. VERY excited about seeing the children at the House of Hope again.

3. Looks like Collin is getting his first car tomorrow. Scary...but we are blessed that we can help him out with this.

4. We hired summer help today. (THANKS, Kathryn, for sending us Trevor!)

5. The weekend has passed with no emergencies at the water plant, cemetery, or with Rick's clients. THAT is a blessing!

6. I enjoyed a fun day with my mother in Tyler yesterday. Barnes and Noble... 'nuff said!

That's all for now. Gotta get back to work.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

Above, Taylor, Rick and Collin relax at the cabin while the steaks grill.

The boys celebrated Fathers Day earlier this week with Rick. Taylor had a couple days off work, and is between semesters in Denton, so he graced us with his presence. We had a great evening grilling steaks and hanging out. I can't believe how time has flown.

In the picture below, the boys are celebrating Fathers Day 2003. They are so cute and little!

Ok, I don't have much to write about...Yesterday, I took a day off from life. The only thing I accomplished was mowing the backyard and faxing an interment order to a funeral home. Other than that, I parked it on the couch with the remote, my book, and the dog. It was a wonderful day!

After church today is Tiffany's baby shower for Skyla Brooke. It's not the best weekend to try and pull of a baby shower, given the holiday, so I hope we have a good turnout.

We're on the countdown for our Honduras trip. Leave in 9 days... Collin is going with us this time, just like Taylor did a couple of years ago. I'm a little anxious about being gone for 10 days with no communication back to the office. Given all the water problems we've encountered lately, it's a bit scary. So I'm praying that all the water problems are behind us now.

Above is my favorite picture from our last trip. I wonder if those girls are still there? Netti, in the pink dress had the best laugh in the world. She was mischievious, and you could just tell by her laugh. AnaMaria, in the middle, was a sweetheart, and Umana, on my left - she was so quiet, but always by my side. She wanted attention so bad!

I guess I better get on with my day.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all of you. Let us not forget to pause and remember those who have sacrificed for our great country.

Kairos - I can't explain it.

2010-05-23T11:19:00.000-05:00

I haven't written since returning from Kairos because, well, it's just hard to summarize an experience that changes your life.

In the picture above, Rick and I are outside one of the Kairos trailers. It reads "God's Special Time." Don't you love our huge name tags?

Rick and I have both spent the last week synthesizing what we learned, saw, felt and experienced. We have talked non-stop about the 42 men in white, our team, and the miracle of what happened within the walls of a maximum security prison - Beto Unit.

It is simply impossible to summarize it for you, so you'll just have to trust me when I say that God was there. He was already there when we arrived, and he was there when we left. Some of the hardest of the hard, the big bad guys, let their guard down long enough to realize that they are not un-redeemable. They are precious children of God. They are not alone.

You may not agree with me. Perhaps your life has been altered because of a crime, or you have lost someone dear because of a senseless act of violence. I have not been in your shoes, so I don't know how I would feel. I can only imagine the anger and hurt.

So I can only speak for myself. For me, I was humbled. Serving someone else did that to me. When I was able to leave behind the questions of "if they deserve it" or "I wonder what they did?" the serving became true and pure. That's what it was about for me.

I want to thank each of you that prayed for us, baked cookies, gave money, or attended the Closing Service. Your participation made this weekend what it was. Honestly, it would not have happened without everyone's participation.

If you are interested, even in the slightest, about Kairos, PLEASE consider attending the next Closing Service in November. Rick and I are going to serve again, and for those of you that know my mother, she will be joining us this time as well!

Momma and her kiddos

2010-05-10T14:03:00.000-05:00

The picture above was taken at an event with Laura Bush. My fabulous sister-in-law, Carolyn, brought her to Arts & Letters Live (a program of the Dallas Museum of Art.) We found Craig there, which was a fun surprise since we weren't sure he would be attending. (They don't let just ANYONE into these programs!)

The coolest thing about the evening was that Carolyn had the honor or introducing President Bush! She is always incredibly graceful in word and deed, and we were so proud of her that night! She greeted the President to the stage, where he was welcomed with a long, rousing standing ovation. He then proceeded to introduce Laura, weaving a bit of humor and wit along with his short, introductory speech.

Laura was the real guest of honor, as her book tour is well under way. I'm just a few chapters into the book, but I'm hooked already. On this evening, Laura spoke of her journey growing up in West Texas, how her early years formed her into the person she is today. She gave a bit of insight into the White House years, but really only as a teaser for us to read her book.

An interesting Q&A followed. The audience had submitted questions on note-cards for her aides to pre-screen. (Who knows... maybe the only ones she answered were carefully placed by her aides to begin with.) She did NOT choose my question... asking if there was an author, past or present, that she would like the opportunity to interview. Nor did she give a shout out to me in the audience, which I informed her about on my note-card, ever so delicately. HEY LAURA, I'M A BUSH FROM ATHENS TEXAS!

Soooo, she didn't answer my question. And she didn't recognize me. But that's ok, I had MY mother next to me, another famous author from Texas. And I was proud to be related to her!

For FUMC Newsletter Readers

2010-05-06T18:47:00.001-05:00

**For FUMC Newsletter Readers**
As you may know, Rick and I are part of a larger team serving 42 inmates at Beto Unit next weekend.

Last week, I printed out some copies of my previous blog posting to mail to our out-of-town friends and to hand to some friends at church.

The piece I printed inadvertently ended up being included in our church newsletter (hence, you found your way to this blog.) And while the facts included in the article are accurate, it was not written with the intent of the newsletter publication.

I wrote it from my personal perspective, about Rick and me participating in Kairos, and it was "exclusive" to the Browns.

The piece that WAS intended for the newsletter would have listed all of the team-members, and was much more "inclusive" of the entire team experience and our church support of this ministry.

The other team members from FUMC Mabank are:
Sharon & Kenny Underriner, Sherry Nash, Debbie Wrinkle, Tyson Johnson, and Bonnie Turner.

Kenny and Sharon have been the heartbeat of Kairos at FUMC. They have poured their time, resources, and leadership into this particular ministry because they feel called to serve in this way.

Sherry, Debbie, Tyson and Bonnie are also integral to the team, and each of them are so very important to me! They each feel passionately about sharing God's love with these men and I am honored to serve with them.

I have shed tears over this. I did not intend for it to happen....and I sincerely hope that my fellow team-mates do not feel slighted in any way. I will speak with them in private, but wanted my church family to know my heart in this matter.

Thank you for understanding,
Kristen

Kairos - coming up!

2010-04-20T10:56:00.001-05:00

Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). It's also been referred to as "God's time."

On May 13 - 16, Rick and I will be experiencing Kairos #42 at Beto Unit, Tennessee Colony. This is a maximum security prison outside of Palestine Texas.

Our team (pictured below) has been preparing for weeks to take God's unconditional love and & acceptance into Beto Unit. We are very excited, and want you to participate with us, if you wish.

But first, what is Kairos? It's an intense weekend designed for 42 inmates, who each apply to participate. Some want to participate because they have heard that Kairos weekends involve homemade food...quite the change from their normal fare. Others will apply to participate because they want to get out of their normal job/routines. And maybe, a few will apply because they have an interest in spiritual matters. Whatever the reason, they are welcomed as they are, and accepted as they are. The inside team, which Rick will be part of, will spend all day with them in sessions learning the basics of God's love and grace. They will have activities, singing, and eating. Walls will come down between the hardest of hard - it's seen every time. Barriers will be broken and grown men who have been locked away and forgotten - gang leaders, drug dealers and worse - will experience a miracle on this weekend. They will realize that they are NOT forgotten, that they ARE accepted, and that they CAN know God's love. It is witnessed at every Kairos event, bar none.

This is where you come in. Our team needs prayer support. AND, the 42 inmates need prayer support. That's the most important thing you can do for us! If you are willing to participate in this way, please email me at kbrown@cornerstonebiz.net. We are filling in time slots so that we have 24/7 prayer coverage during the weekend. You can pick your time and know that your participation is a crucial component to this weekend.

Another way you can help is by donating to sponsor a participant ($160). This helps underwrite the cost of the weekend for us. It costs over $9000 for us to have this weekend. And, obviously, the participants do not pay to attend. So it's up to us.

You can also donate money for the food that we will be cooking all weekend. Just think, you could buy a home-grilled cheeseburger with all the trimmings for one of our participants for $5.00! Think of it as sponsoring a cheeseburger!

Do you like to bake? Then consider baking cookies for the weekend. On a typical 3 day Kairos weekend, we go through 1500 dozen (yes, I said 1500 dozen) cookies. Obviously, we need help baking cookies! If you would like to help in that way, there are some guidelines to follow. I can email you the details if you are interested. They can be baked now and frozen, so you don't have to wait to the last minute.

And if you are local, I invite you to attend the closing service on Sunday afternoon (5/16) at the unit. You'll enter the gates of the prison and be invited into the chapel. You will hear first hand from the participants what this weekend has meant to them. It is an incredible moment to see the men up close and hear them as they attempt to put into words what has transpired over the last few days. I promise, if you attend Closing, you will not regret it. But you have to be screened to attend, so let me know asap so I can get you on the list.

Rick and I are excited about this weekend, and are hoping that you will want to be involved in some way. Please consider it, and get back with me!

A few pictures from our vacation

2010-03-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the best thing about our vacation to Cabo was that Rick earned it! The payment processing company that we work with sends top agents to "President's Club." And they treated us like royalty!

This picture was actually the last day, as we were waiting on our car to take us to the airport. Really, really didn't want it to end.

Rick went about 30 miles off the coast for some deep-sea fishing. This picture, taken as they were heading out, reminds me of "the cliffs of insanity" from The Princess Bride. The same day that Rick went fishing, I was treated to a day at the spa. OH MY... it was fabulous! At the end of the day, Rick came in windchapped, sunburned and smelling like tuna. I, on the other hand, smelled like lilac and coconut.

The harbour in Cabo... lots of boats, and a beautiful day.

This is Marty, a Sr VP with PPD. We love Marty!

Ahhhh, the obligatory toe picture. This was my view from the lounge chair. Heaven.

We've been back a bit over a week now, and hit the ground running. A dear friend, Stephan, is visiting from Germany. He's staying with my folks, but we're spending every extra second we can with him. I got to know Stephan while my parents lived in Germany, from 1992 until 2002. He became an "adopted son" for my parents, and a brother to me, and it's great having him around for a while! (I call him my "brother from another mother.")

On Saturday, Rick and I attended our first Kairos team meeting. We will serve for a weekend in May at the Beto Unit at Tennessee Colony. Beto is part of the Texas prison system. We will represent God's unconditional love and acceptance to 42 inmates through a special weekend - If you are curios about Kairos, I'm happy to share more information with you. You'll also be hearing more about in future blogs.

The other notable thing that's happened since our return from vacation is THE SKUNK.

Yes, a big stinky skunk is living beneath our house. And it enjoys spraying in the middle of the night.

Rick and Collin spent the afternoon inventing a "skunk-be-gone" device.

This contraption shoots cayenne pepper under the house... supposedly skunks don't like cayenne pepper.

Below is the finished product. Complete with cayenne pepper, a gun, and a leaf blower (not pictured.)

And this is Rick, ready and waiting. And waiting.

For some reason, I can't post video's right now. I'll try later, because there are some good video's of the action. This experience is one that only a video can truly capture.

It's 10pm, and Mr Skunk still hasn't come out from the house. But as soon as the motion detectors beep, Rick will be out there ready for war. It will happen, it has to happen, it must happen.

Unexpected Gratitude

2010-02-28T16:42:00.000-06:00

Because of a scheduling snafu last night, I found myself wandering aimlessly about in Mabank. I had some extra time to kill, and it seemed my car practically steered itself into the parking lot at the nursing home.

Hmmm, 7:30pm – is that too late to drop in and visit? The sign posted that visiting hours would end at 8pm, but I wondered if 7:30 would still be too late. But I felt compelled, I needed to go in.

I ventured in, meandering down the hallway towards Ma Felker’s room. Ma is a lovely little lady from church who has assumed the name of “Ma” for many of the folks in her life. A couple of weeks ago, she decided that it was time to move into the nursing home, as they could better care for her than her family. I admire her strength in making that difficult decision without burdening her family.

The walk down the hallway is always interesting. I passed several residents calling various greetings to me. And I do mean various! They always call out from their room, and I’m reminded that some of these people don’t have visitors like Ma Felker or our sweet Margaret Templin.

Ma was still awake, waiting on her evening medicine to be brought to her. Her pain was great, resulting from a fractured spine. But her countenance was brimming with gratitude. How can that be? She began counting her blessings as I sat there with her, listing the ways to me that she is grateful.

Her tiny little room seemed sparse to me. The little bit of space carved out in this nursing institution is so different from where she moved from. I looked around the room for personal effects. A vase with two roses, beginning to wither. Eye glasses and a hearing aid case. Her Bible - that faithful companion for what looked to be years. And that was all I saw.

My mind wandered to all the things she left behind. The little knick-knacks that make up a home, the pictures and furniture and household items that becomes the landscape of our life. What was it like for her to walk through her home one last time, knowing it might be her last? Did she take it all in, caressing with her eyes those items that she may never see again? Pieces of her life that hold memories of all the years past, these tokens of life lived and shared, did they evoke memories of both pain and joy?

And the item she carried out with her… Her Bible. Heading out into a new phase of life clutching the one thing that has sustained her through the years. Her Bible.

The squeeze on my hand brought me back to the present. I was the one with the wandering mind, not Ma. She was very much in the here and now – calling me out of my reverie to thank me for coming. She asked about Rick and the boys, commenting on how handsome they all are.

I told her we miss getting our hugs from her at church, seeing her in that pretty pink suit she wears. I promised to be back soon.

And as I walked away, I felt encouraged. How does that always happen? I go to encourage someone else, and I end up getting the better end of the deal!

I hope that I grow into a woman like Ma Felker. I hope I can count my blessings, no matter what the circumstance.

Rest in Peace, Fuzzy

2010-02-17T16:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, Fuzzy was just another barn cat. One of the many, many barn cats we've had over the years. Dad marches down to the barn daily to feed Fuzzy, Wuzzy and Junior. He even warms their food up for the evening meal!

But I'm still sad about his untimely fate. I fret that his sister, Wuzzy, will be distraught when he doesn't come to dinner. Fuzzy was such a cute little kitten! And he grew up to be a beautiful cat.

Rest in peace, sweet kitty. You will be missed.

Snow....the good and the bad

2010-02-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

SNOW! Lots of it, too!

It started yesterday, falling down in fat, wet flakes.

And today, we awoke to 8 inches in our backyard!

While I headed out to take pictures in the cemetery, Rick suited up to head out to the water company. All 400 homes on our water system are without power....and water. Ugh. The good and the bad of a beautiful snowfall!

He's been out there all day, waiting on the electric company to restore power to the plants. While he waits, he's making the best of the time by fixing some line breaks while there is no water pressure.

But before he left, my hubby shoveled the walk for me. I think this was the first time in his life to have to shovel snow! It reminded me of the 4 winters I survived Chicago...

The Park was beautiful with the snow glistening on our big, beautiful, 50 year old trees.

But I was hard pressed to really enjoy the beauty after seeing the toll that this snowfall took on these majestic oaks. If you look closely in the picture below, you'll see a glimpse of some of the branches that were ripped off of these special trees. "Oaklawn" is not named "Oaklawn" for nothing, you know. So when something hurts our trees, it is especially painful to all of us!

I did, however, get a chance to take out my frustration on dad with a good old fashioned snowball fight.

And finally, here is a picture of our farmhouse. It's survived decades of winters... so I suppose it will survive one more. But I think I'm ready for warm weather now!

Whew!

2010-02-10T17:58:00.000-06:00

Yep...you got it.

Audit is complete, and Oaklawn Memorial Park is numero uno!

I will sleep really well tonight.

Worn down

2010-02-09T12:37:00.000-06:00

It's Tuesday, 12:30pm. I'm waiting on Rick to finish a customer phone call before we mosey over to lunch. Mother has "breakfast" waiting on us. YUM.

I'm feeling pretty worn down. We have concluded our "graveyard shift stake-outs" and are going to rely on the newly installed motion detector's to alert us of anything thing, human or otherwise, that crosses the boundary into our cemetery.

We didn't catch the thief, and I feel a bit disappointed in that. It would have been fun to nab the person that's been stealing from the dead!

My audit is tomorrow. I'm swamped. You know the saying, "When it rains, it pours."

It's true.

Rick's off the phone. I'm going to eat now.

Silence

2010-02-03T11:31:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I just don't have anything to say. This would be one of those times.

I had the most wonderful weekend (last weekend) with Mother. Sometime, I'll post pictures of our Mother-Daughter trip to Jefferson. But not now.

With the new year of 2010, the ownership transfer of Oaklawn Memorial Park has been completed. I have never felt more vulnerable and inadequate than I do today. As 100% stock-holder to this Cemetery (where we have 3,030 people buried) the buck does indeed stop here. Right at my doorstep. I can't defer to good ole dad anymore, except for advice and a hug.

And right now, for the first time in 52 years, our cemetery is the target of copper theft. Two nights this week, pathetic, heartless and selfish thieves have stolen vases from graves.

I'm sick to my stomach. When making the calls to the families to inform them, I'm met with a variety of responses. Some are more upset than others. Thankfully, no-one has lashed out in anger at me. But I feel hurt for those affected. And I feel angry, as if the bad guys broke into my own home and stole.

I wonder if Granddaddy ever considered this day when he founded Oaklawn Memorial Park in 1958. I wonder what he would do about it if he were around today.

Preparations continue for our annual audit coming up. My attention is needing to focus on getting ready for that, but I can't seem to concentrate.

I think I'll just be silent for a while.

Back from vacation, to the real world

2010-01-16T15:09:00.000-06:00

We're back from vacation, went to work on Friday AND celebrated my 36th birthday. I'm now officially closer to 40 than to 30. Mother, in her infinite humor, decided that I needed raisen-bran muffins instead of my traditional choo-choo train cake. Um, thanks mom. I think.

The Haiti earthquake happened while we were on the open seas of the Gulf, cruising away from Mexico. It certainly opened our eyes, taking the focus off of ourselves and onto others. I feel so burdened about the devasation, but I am encouraged by the amazing response of Americans.

It seems inappropriate to post pictures of our vacation, while so many in the world are fighting for their very life. So I'll just post a few of our favorites.

This picture is what I went for. To get my toes in the sand at our favorite place, Nachi Cocum. This was the ONLY day we had warm sunshine.

Self portrait on the same beach. The water was SO beautiful!

On ship... Rick, in usual form, taking to the dance floor!

Awwww, my sweetie!

And I think this is my favorite beach picture. Makes me wanna go back!

Outta here

2010-01-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

We are outta here. Going someplace warm and sunny!
We've only been on the ship an hour, and I can't stop smiling!!!

Twenty-Ten

2010-01-05T14:53:00.002-06:00

Well, the New Year is here.

I can't decide if I'm calling it "Twenty-Ten", or "Two Thousand and Ten." The former sounds so futuristic...kind of Jetson-esque. Back in the 1980's, I thought that by 2010, we'd be driving hover-crafts and communicating by telekinesis.

We rang in the new year with our Cowboy Group. Had a great dinner at Tim and Tiffany's, then went to the Club to dance the night away.

Here are the guys, looking quite fine, I might add! From left to right: Charles, Tyson, Rick, Stan, Tim

And this next picture just cracks me up. The doggie belongs to Tim's parents. I can't remember her name... Chloe, maybe. But the little dog would not quit staring at Tyson. As soon as he sat down on the sofa, Chloe was there. Rick is cracking up in the picture, and that makes me laugh.

And the girls are below, with Tim popping up in the background. This is after THE INCIDENT, which shall not be named, involving a most unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. Truly, my most horrifying, mortifying moment of my life. If you weren't there to witness it, than you don't get to know what happened!

From left to right: Me, Jan (Tim) Twina, Tiffany, Kandi

The next picture is proof that I started the evening out in a little black dress.

The decor on the table was, um, a little like a 50th birthday party with masks and everything. We weren't sure how that fit into a New Years Eve celebration, but since they were there, we rolled with it.

Hi-Ho-Silver!

And now... drumroll please:

We've begun the countdown to vacation. Leaving on Saturday for a destination south of the border. This time next week, this will be my view!

And that's all I have to say about that!

Happy New Year, friends. I pray blessings of peace and joy for all of you.

All Aboard the Candyville Express

2009-12-20T20:04:00.000-06:00

Another of my favorite ornaments is from Hallmark, early 1980's.

It's called the Candyville Express.

Remembering back to those days, as a young child I always felt giddy with this ornament. It looked like candy, and the sparkles on it were somehow magical.

I even remember licking this ornament once just to see if it tasted good.... notice I said "just once." Behind it in the picture is the famed candy garland... I LOVE the candy garland.

Here is the much deserved close-up.

How on earth mother allowed me to have the candy garland is beyond me. She should have kept it for their tree, but I'm not complaining! This has ALWAYS been on my Christmas tree, growing up until now. I can't fathom a tree without it.

And another favorite ornament!

2009-12-17T13:48:00.001-06:00

Here is an ornament with a picture of Taylor as a baby. I love this ornament - he's so cute! Taylor didn't come into my life until a little over 7 years ago, when he was 12. I cherish this ornament because it's one of the only pieces I have of him as a baby.

Today, we celebrate Dad's birthday. Craig drove down from Dallas and we ate a delicious homemade meal. Uncle Lee even joined us!

In searching for an appropriate picture of Dad to post, I found the one below. It is a picture of the Bess family from about 10 years ago... In it, we are re-creating the 1974 family portrait that mother holds in her hand. If you click on the picture, it will bring up a larger copy.

And here is the picture of our family today:

Ducks and wrestling?

2009-12-15T11:04:00.001-06:00

Another favorite Christmas ornament, compliments of my talented husband! I love it that he cross-stiched this ornament (1991), proving once again that I married someone who can do ANYTHING!

And below is another picture in the continuing saga at the Brown household...For as long as I've been in their life (since 2002) the boys and their dad have arm wrestled, leg wrestled, body slammed, etc. Rick has always, always been top dog.

I can't divulge who won this round, but maybe you can figure it out!

Rumor has it there is a youtube video out there of this event, but I'm sure I don't know where it is!

3 Wise Men and the Rockettes

2009-12-13T19:02:00.000-06:00

The 3 Wise Men are a pretty close runner up for 1st place among my favorite ornaments. Granny needlepointed these in 1976. I love them so much... they remind me of my Granny.

Today we took my mother and Rick's mother to the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular. Lots of fun - I highly recommend it. "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" was by far my favorite - where they are dressed up as soldiers and march around in precision, ending it with their famous slow-motion fall back. Simply amazing!

The last number of the show was called "One Solitary Life" and involved a living Nativity. I read in the program that this presentaion has been a revered part of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular since 1933. We were all very impressed that the presentation of the true reason for Christmas has not been scrubbed out of the show over the years. It was a great way to end the program.

I'm off to finish some holiday baking now...

My favorite ornament, Cowboy Group, and tennis

2009-12-11T17:04:00.004-06:00

Here is a picture of my favorite Christmas tree ornament. Mother hand-made this little gingerbread man in 1972, and it has always hung on our tree. A few years ago, she let me pick some of my favorite ornaments from the family tree and place them on the Brown family tree. This was the first one I chose.

I've got pictures of some of my other favorite ornaments and will share them over the next couple of weeks. Last year, a friend of mine posted a picture every day in December of a different ornament on their tree. I'm partially borrowing that idea here (thanks, Chris!) EXCEPT, I know I won't be posting every day. I'm just not that disciplined.

And speaking of friends, the Cowboy Group celebrated Christmas together last night. We enjoyed a savory steak dinner at the Club, and then a fun gift exchange. Here is our group picture for the year.

2009 Christmas picture. Love this group of friends! Love, love, love them!

And just for fun, below is the picture from last year's Christmas party. Tiffany was pregnant, very pregnant, in the picture and you can see the product of that in the picture (above) from this year. Funny thing... she's pregnant again this Christmas. Just not showing like she was last year. Congrats, Tiff!

2008 Christmas picture (with funny faces)

Ok... We are heading out to spend the night in Dallas tonight. Collin is playing at 8am in a tennis tournament, and thanks to mom's rewards points, we'll not have to drive from Athens EARLY in the morning. (Thanks mom...) Really looking forward to watching Collin play tomorrow. He's really great!

Recap of last weekend.

2009-11-25T11:06:00.001-06:00

It's Wednesday, but feels like Friday because of Thanksgiving tomorrow. I'm looking forward to time with family and friends over the next couple of days.

Thought I'd share a few pictures from last weekend.

We helped with the monthly meal and activities in a local neighborhood. Our church participates with several groups in bringing a presence of hope and love to this neighborhood.

This picture shows some of the clothes available for anyone who could use them.

Here are the ladies dishing up a homemade Thanksgiving meal.

Rick, below, has a helper handing out hygiene kits.

This is Larry Partridge and me on the porch of a house in the neighborhood that we are going to turn into a kids afterschool clubhouse, and in the evenings have it available for adult programs. It's a longtime dream coming to fruition for our church to have a presence in this neighborhood.

The house needs ALOT of work. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point! Good thing youth groups like to do demolition, becasue we are going to have to start from scratch!

We also had fun Saturday winning 2nd place at a bowling tournament with the Chamber of Commerce!

Our team, The Bowling Stones, had a blast. After each game, we could wager our score on a trivia question, with hopes of doubling the score. Here are a few pictures:

Rick, in form, about to get a strike!

Waging our entire score for a trivia question... leaning in attentively to hear it.

Deliberations.... thinking it over...

We got it right!!!Victory!

The happy team... ready to take our place among the stars! We are:

Rick, Kristen, Tim, Tiffany, and Jamie

Looking forward to the day!

2009-11-21T08:18:00.000-06:00

Today we have 2 things on the docket:

1) Thanksgiving meal and visiting with the folks in a nearby neighborhood. Our church, along with a couple other churches, take a meal monthly to this neighborhood. We hope to show the residents that God loves them, and so do we.

I made two large green bean casseroles to take, but was short 1 can of green beans. These are the times I'm reminded how much I love living next door to my mother! She rescued me from having to fight the grocery store this morning!

2) Chamber of Commerce Bowling Tournament is this afternoon. I think we have about 17 teams of 5 so far! Our team, the Bowling Stones, will annihilate the others. Or at least have the most fun trying!

Meanwhile, on the homefront, Taylor is home from college this weekend. He's going to be working today for us, reading water meters. Rick LOVES it when Taylor comes home to do this!

Here is my favorite picture of Taylor!

Cat Fight

2009-11-17T11:30:00.000-06:00

For any of my cat lover friends out there, the link below is cute. You'll have to watch the commercial first, but the news story is fun.

Cat Fight

Sometimes

2009-11-16T23:13:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel strongly about something, but I can't come up with the words to describe it or share it. Does anyone else get tongue tied like that?

I think that's why I like writing, so that I can work it out in my head and put it down on paper (or keyboard.) And then decide if it describes what I'm trying to say.

And if it doesn't, I hit delete.

Problem is, it seems pretty frequent that I hit delete, and don't say what I want to say. So I'm going to post this without re-reading it. Cause I'd probably hit delete. :)

Oh, one more thing. I love the smell of books. The whole Kindle revolution is entriguing... but I'm sticking to the paper that I can touch...and smell. Might sound wierd, but it's true.

So there you have it.

Nothing really.

2009-11-11T22:04:00.000-06:00

I've been distracted as of late. Got back from vacation (anniversary trip) and fell into a funk. I always do after a vacation... it's just hard for me to come back to reality after a fabulous trip with Rick.
And I have absolutely nothing to say right now, nothing that is notable. I think it's ok to be quiet - I guess that's just my moment right now.

But for the sake of writing, here's a little bit of what I've been up to lately.

1. Exercise - I've changed up my schedule and am going to the gym at lunch these days. It seems to work my schedule better. Thanks to family for accomodating my lunch-time schedule change.
2. Thanksgiving Journal - Turned my favorite new journal into a Thanksgiving Journal, writing one thing every night that I'm thankful for. It's kinda cool.
3. Lists - Made a list of a few things in my life that I'm not real pleased with. I'm taking charge of the list by tackling 2 of them to begin with. That would be: Exercise (see above) and Developing the Cremains Garden we need at Oaklawn.
4. Scrubbed the shower - Because I always feel better about life when I scrub the shower. Wierd, I know.
5. Reading a "just for fun book" - A modern twist on Sherlock Holmes - not finished with it, tonight maybe. I took it from the stack of library books at my folks house. Wonder if they've missed it yet?
6. Mourned the death of a friend and spiritual mentor. God bless the legacy Royce Riley left behind.

That's all for now.

A Halloween Joke

2009-10-31T09:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my friend Roger, for sharing this!

A man is walking home alone late one foggy Halloween night, when behind him he hears:
BUMP...

BUMP...

BUMP...

Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him.

BUMP...

BUMP...

BUMP...

Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him.

FASTER...

FASTER...

BUMP...

BUMP...

BUMP....

He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in, slams and locks the door behind him. However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping.

clappity-BUMP...

clappity-BUMP..

clappity-BUMP...

on his heels, as the terrified man runs.

Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, he locks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps.

With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door.

Bumping and clapping toward him.

The man screams and reache s for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup! Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket...

and,

(hopefully you're ready for this!!!)

The coffin stops.

Cowboys!

2009-10-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

We've been crazy busy after returning from our anniversary trip in Vegas.

For now, I'll just post a few pictures of yesterday's trip to see the Cowboy's.

Rick, Collin and Taylor took on the stadium, and from what I hear, it's still standing! It cost an arm and a leg, but a great memory was created. I hope the boys always remember their first trip to the new Cowboy Stadium.

Gondola ride at The Venetian

2009-10-19T02:14:00.000-05:00

A kiss under every bridge... It was the rule!

It's a Beautiful Day

2009-10-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

This picture is our view from the room over the pool area. It feels so
nice outside on our patio, and I feel better than yesterday!

Yesterday we dined next to Elvis, then saw him kareoke after dinner. A
pink satin-suited Elvis showed up too. Um, only in Vegas, Baby!

We also caught a close up with Wayne Newton at The Tropicana, where he
is doing "one more show." Right. How old is that guy anyway???

Dogs, money, and others.

2009-10-07T10:30:00.001-05:00

I took Roxie to have her Micro-chipped today. In case she ever wanders off and gets lost - some kind soul may take her to a vet to find out if she was chipped... and then we'll get her back.

I love my dog. She's epitomizes unconditional love, she shows us how to live with "gusto" and she is always thrilled to see us! When we walk through the door at the end of the day, she acts like we are the highlight of her day!

So I got to wondering how much money we spend on this dog. I looked at our monthly expenses that are logged into a nifty budget spreadsheet, and was surprised with the amount of cash that goes towards her care. Between dogfood, vacinations, grooming and kenneling, we have spent $566 so far this year. And then the $50 today that I paid for her to be chipped. (GASP!!!)

I'm troubled by this. In our culture, it's acceptable to drop lots of money towards the care of our animals. For some of us, they are a part of the family, and are treated with the best medical and preventative care we can afford. I'm the worst about it too. I love my doggie with all my heart, and would be quick to sacrifice alot, if needed, to keep her healthy.

Many people will spend their last dime to feed their pet before they will feed themselves. I learned recently about a facility in Henderson County, called the Silver Star Room, that assists with supplying necessities for victims of Elder Abuse. When they are brought to the attention of Adult Protective Services, there are many physical needs. The Silver Star Room keeps items like blankets, socks, and toiletries readily available for help. Also...pet food is one of the items they keep in stock. Many of these elderly victims of abuse will have given their last bit of food to their beloved pet, choosing to give to their doggie or kitty instead of taking care of themselves.

Isn't that sad?

So here's what I'm thinking... Rick doesn't even know this yet. (Hi honey!) What if, for every dollar that we spent on our dog, we gave the same amount to help an elderly person in need? From the numbers in my budget, we have spent about $2.00 a day on our dog. To put it into perspective, for only $1.00 per day, we can provide clean water, food, and education to a child across the world. Think about that! We can secure their future for less than I spend on my pet.

Wow. I just re-read that. It's sobering.

There are so many needs around us. In our own neighborhood, across town, on the other side of the County, on the other side of the world. And it's easy to get overwhelmed, thinking that we can't do anything to help change the world. But what if each one of us did a little bit more than we already do? Just a little bit more. Collectively, we CAN make a difference. I know it, and you know it too.

I'm not sure what that looks like for me and my doggie. But I'm thinking about it... And change cannot occur without thought.

Think, talk, do. See the change.

2009-10-04T21:08:00.011-05:00

We motored up to Dallas today with Collin for some tennis racquet shopping. He's really gotten into tennis this year - and he's very good!

Taylor drove down from Denton and met up with us for the afternoon. He's never been known to miss an opportunity for lunch... smart guy! It was great seeing him.

We went to the PGA Superstore, where there is a full-sized indoor tennis court. Collin demo'd (is that a word?) several racquets, and found one that excelled his game. This was great, because his birthday is coming up on Oct 18th. He'll be 16... I can't believe it! It's always hard finding something for a teenage boy (other than the obvious CAR.) Collin gave the "thumbs up" for this, so I'm happy!

This evening, Rick watched the Cowboys make a bad game turn worse, and I puttered around the house. The week ahead of us will bring mom and dad back on Tuesday. But not before we hold the 4th funeral since they left on vacation. We will be glad to have them back!

I sincerely hope it does not rain tomorrow. My crew doesn't need to dig a grave in the rain, and the family sure doesn't need to deal with the messy rain for the funeral day.

Formatting problems - need tips???

2009-10-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

Well... I changed to a new text editor on my blogs.

Problem is, it changed everything I've previously posted. It really shook up my previous formatting, and now everything looks horrible.

What to do???

Does anyone have tips for me with Blogger?

My thoughtful sister-in-law and mother

2009-10-01T10:55:00.001-05:00

My parents, brother, and sister-in-law are at the Grand Canyon for vacation. On their way through Albuquerque, they found a necklace for me!

How thoughtful!

Too funny! Can you picture me going out to work a funeral wearing a skull and crossbone???