Five Years and Counting

     Tomorrow is my “5th birthday!”  Five years ago today, Belinda and I were prepping mentally, physically, and spiritually for my brain surgery.  We felt like ants being flushed in a toilet, a truly helpless feeling.  In sharp contrast today, I’m helping Belinda at home after she had a successful hysterectomy last Tuesday.  She came home one day earlier than expected, and she’s well on her way to recovery, too.  We are truly blessed; we both bounce back from major surgeries fairly easily.  

     We also didn’t die from our surgeries.  Others are not as fortunate.  They might have cancer.  Or, they died suddenly from a heart attack.  Or perhaps their spouses have cancer, or someone in their family died from a heart attack.  Belinda and I continue to realize how lucky/blessed we are. Life is great and we know it, and we are not taking any of it for granted.

     Having the brain surgery changed me in many small ways, and in....

The Remainder of the Robbie Ward Tournament

Written on 6-12-16.

     Belinda is out on a kayak on Jackson Lake.  I’m in our GMC truck writing while she motors around out there.  She is happy, so I’m happy.  Dave and Julie chose not to come to the cabin home this weekend, so Belinda and I spontaneously drove up here last night.  I went to the 5:15 mass, and I learned our priest, Father Kingsley, will be moving to Oklahoma City in August.  This was very upsetting news to the congregation; some cried.  I am sad, too.  Father Kingsley has done so much for our church, and he has brought us all closer to God, in my opinion.  Isn’t that what all priests should do?

     This morning, we learned of even more sad, and honestly, tragic, news.  A gay bar in Orlando was attacked, and our country now has its worst mass shooting…ever.  Good grief!  Sigh.  What the heck is the world coming to?  At this point, it has been reported that there are 50 dead and 53 injured.  Speculation is that it was an...

Robbie Ward Memorial Tournament-Part 1

Written on 6-11-16.

     Well, my back survived it.  It’s a bit sore, but I can tell I am on my way to recovery.  Hopefully, I can start working out again vigorously this week.  

     Today is Bev and Curt’s 28th wedding anniversary.  Congrats to them.  I just texted her to congratulate them and confirm that it’s been 28 years, and she literally just texted me back saying it is.  Wow!  I’m so happy and relieved that the Verizon strike is over now, too, and that Bev can be back at her home and working at her “regular” job again.

     Our team took 8th place out of 19 teams in the Robbie Ward Memorial Tournament, and we were able to get it to 7 under with a score of 65.  The winning team got it to 15 under, and that score tied another team’s score, so they held a playoff.  

     Usually, in order to save time, a scorecard playoff is used, but a playoff playoff took place to determine the winners.  It was a father vs. son playoff, and the father was victorious.  After the playoff, raffle prizes were given out and this year I won a big one!  I won a...

Pulled on Pressure Washer = Pulled Out Back

Written on 6-9-16.

     I’m out on our back deck, Sanctuary, on a Thursday evening.  The breezes are beginning to cool a bit, although it’s just 8:04.  I have just finished the first week of The First Tee in Aztec.  So far, it’s been fine, just fine.  It's a ton of work, but once everything is set up, it really is great fun.  This is my first year teaching Birdie level lessons, and I am thankful to have a group of four for that group this summer, especially considering I only had two who had certified at that level last summer.  A family with three siblings (who had worked with Tom before he left) came back to join in again with The First Tee again, so it’s those three and one of my own from last summer.

     Anyway, I have no reason to dread The First Tee.  I’m glad I’m doing it; I think it was a bit tougher this time because I feared the unknown.  I wasn’t sure how I would do the schedule.  I didn’t know how many would sign up.  I even put more work on myself by digitally redoing my diagrams for the warm-ups and the activities.  Now, I have a better grasp of my schedule for June and July.  I have 20 who have signed up, and once I...