Dear Ryan,

 

It's Christmas Eve...and no surprise, you're on my mind.

The wreath in front of your tree was Karen's idea.  She wanted to pretty it up, but I told her it was perfect just the way it is...a little bit rough cut, like you were.

I imagine you would have skipped the bow, but I like it...a nice touch, and we even put some lights on it so it’s easy to see from my office.

Is it a big celebration in heaven tonight?

Or does that happen on the anniversary of the actual night Christ was born to Mary in that manger so many Christmases ago?

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords taking on human flesh in the most humble surroundings...incredible.

Either way it must be a spectacular event...all the hosts of heaven joining together in praise and adoration for the new born King, and now you're part of it!

Amazing.

I'm truly happy for you, Ryan.

I know, as the writer of Hebrews said, you've "laid aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us" and you're now running with patience the race God has set before you.

What a wondrous experience that must be!

So it seems petty to even mention it, because you've got bigger fish to fry, but I miss you...

...and I wish I could hug you one last time on this Christmas Eve, because this time I'd know and would make it count.

I wouldn't take for granted that I'd see you again, that you'd always be around.

I wouldn't leave things unsaid in the ridiculous belief there's always another time to say them.

I'd look you in the eyes and tell you I'm sorry for the times I failed you, for the moments when I let you down, when I didn't live up to my responsibilities as your father.

And I'd make sure you really know I love you, that I'm proud of you, that I'm thankful to God in heaven you're my son.

Just one more chance, one last time before you were gone...

But that's not how it works, is it?

Because the truth is, I already had those chances...

...every time I saw you, every time you walked through my door at Thanksgiving, every time we met together for breakfast at Denny's...

...and I squandered them.

For what, exactly, was I waiting?

Now that door's closed, that opportunity missed, and what can I do?

We soldier on.

So until that future day...until we meet again in heaven...

Merry Christmas, Ryan.

 - Dad

D-Day...

June 6th, 1944...never forget.

This is why...

 ...Michiganders love "up north"...that's a view from my friend Larry's cottage near the Traverse City area.

Love the mirror like reflection of the clouds in the water.

The lucky stiff is working remotely from there - for a while, anyway - and every so often he graces me with a pic or two...

...of life on the lake.

He actually gets paid to work from there...go figger...

Saw this scenario on our back patio this week...

hey...what's that?

don't see anyone around...

yep, coast is clear...

mmm...seafood sensations...

Who knew?  Blue Jays like cat food.

Got one half of our Redneck Riviera situated this weekend...

...with our inflatable hot tub...and this year we done gone and got ourselves a ga-ZEE-bo...insert excited "yee haw" here.

2nd half of our RR scheduled for early July when Mirage Pools installs our pool...it's been a 4 year wait on that so we're pretty excited.

Lately I've been on "mole patrol"...

before: that's part of a mole tunnel

...using my 13.5 lb compactor to flatten the network of mole tunnels criss crossing our yard...

after: flattened tunnel and hopefully dead moles

...they're busy little buggers and wielding my "stomper" has become a regular part of my "daily functional fitness" routine.

We've spread grub killer around, too.

This is war, but so far I haven't resorted to dynamite like Bill Murray in Caddyshack.

Just about time to close up shop here at the AMC...

...and as we go we leave you with these parting shots...

very windy day

back patio...love the huge oak tree canopy overhead

a co-worker shared this pic of a couple of foxes in his backyard

roses are beautiful this year

more beautiful roses

later, mcm fans...

Today at 5:25 pm...

 ...I sank this putt...for a bogey as the first official score ever registered on the par 4 first hole of the Ryan P. Hare Memorial Hickory / Wiffle Golf Course.

Should have been a par, but after a decent tee shot with my play club, I left my niblick just a little short of the green, so had to chip on in 3.

Missed the 8 footer for the leave you see above, then sank that for a bogey.

Here's the view from the tee:

Did you spot the flag?

Slight dogleg right, about 45 yards away.

To be honest I'm not satisfied with the feel of the green.  I hand compacted the crushed limestone layer many times then spread 9 bags of sand over that to fill in the cracks.

After that I wet it and hand compacted the sand layer several times.

Seemed ok when I put down the turf but now you can still feel the crushed limestone underfoot when you’re standing on the green.

At some future date I’ll probably take up the turf and put more sand down but don’t want to overdo it or it will shift under your feet when you stand on it.

Gotta think about it, but not too bad for a first effort...I'll give it a C+, maybe a B- if grading on the curve.

Three more chances to get it right this summer.

In the classic car department...

...I no longer own one.

Yep, Mr. T finally sold this past week, the proceeds of which to be used in the "martinis and bikinis" fund (read: in ground pool).

Had him for 6 years, and he inspired 8 "Papa's Model T" books...

Definitely going to miss him.

End of an era.

We have a number of stray / neighborhood cats who mosey on over for a bite to eat now and then, but one of the strays recently managed to worm his way inside...

...meet Buddy the Cat, currently making himself at home on my side of the bed.

He'd been hanging around for a couple of months, out in the woods, seeking shelter under the She-shed at night, and then one day I noticed he was inside.

I questioned the Lady of the Manor closely as to exactly what her intentions were re: this wayward beast, to which she replied (and I'm quoting here for accuracy):

"Oh, never mind..."

Now my fears have been realized.

I've often said Karen's cats live and prosper under the protective umbrella of her love, and never has that been truer than with this latest addition.

Heavy sigh...

On the home stretch now with Born Out Of Due Time...

...have my ending - well, mostly - and have written it in the neural network that passes for my brain...now just have to get it down on (digital) paper.

Shooting for next weekend, then proofreading / tweaking begins.

Hoping to publish by June.

Time for a stroll through the parting shots gallery...

Uncle Ryan with 3 of #1 son's kids, probably 15 years ago

I just like this art deco bar

Buddy Kitten giving me the stink eye

Lilacs in bloom

this is the trunk of the big green spider tree that was blocking our wall until I cut the top off...I wanted to cut the trunk down, but Karen said "Wait 'til spring...if it blooms, we'll keep it..."

...wouldn't you know it...the gnarly bugger bloomed...oh well, it does make a good Halloween Tree

Saw the pretender to the throne mumbling to himself on TV the other day, and it brought this Scripture to mind:

later, mcm fans...

In The "Back From The Brink" Department...

...the man on the left is #1 son...one week after heart surgery.  (that's one of his sons on the right.)

Two weeks ago he went to the doctor complaining of shortness of breath.

A week later he endured an 8 hour surgery to repair a damaged heart valve along with a "cardiac ablation" to restore normal heart rhythm.

Today he was given the "all clear" and released from the hospital.

We are praising God and giving thanks for the talented surgeon, nurses and medical staff that saved his life.

In a previous era we would have been arranging a funeral and mourning the loss of a young man cut down in the prime of life.

Instead we're rejoicing at his recovery and a return to full health with the hope of many productive, happy years ahead.

These are amazing times in which we live.

You've heard the stories surrounding St. Patrick...well here's what REALLY happened...

...it's as good an explanation as any I suppose.

In just a few days we'll have burned through a couple of the events for which March is tolerated...the time change (this weekend)...

...and the aforementioned St. Patrick’s Day (Wednesday).

By next weekend we'll have finally arrived at Spring...

The wait's almost over...

And speaking of Spring...

...it ain't pretty, but there's no snow left!

At least it's making an effort...

...and doing a fine job.

Unfortunately, it's anything but Spring time when it comes to writing...

Still wandering in the desert searching for motivation, and it's been long enough now that I consider it a full blown creative drought.

There's a pithy saying that opines "writers write", implying if you're a bona fide writer you spend your days putting (digital) pen to (virtual) paper, no matter what.

And there's some truth there.   Discipline is an important part of producing meaningful product.

If we went to work only on those days when we felt like it, most of us would be unemployed.

monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday...

However, I realized long ago I do not have a mighty river of creativity raging inside of me, threatening to overflow the banks of my being if I do not furiously write from sunup to sundown, 7 days a week.

Sadly, it's more like a bubbling spring of creativity that seeks expression via the written word from time to time.

It ebbs and flows with the seasons of life, very much influenced by what's happening around and to me.

Considering the events of the last six months, both national and personal, there's no mystery here.  I fully understand the reasons for my current dearth of creativity.

And while I haven't found the silver bullet yet, I know part of the cure for what ails me will simply be the passage of time.

So while I'm in a holding pattern...

...I've been re-reading - and in a few cases partially rewriting - some of my prior work.

This is somewhat akin to rearranging my sock drawer...

um...too neat...definitely not mine

...but it's actually been fairly productive.  I've found and fixed a number of typos and improved a couple of stories, one significantly (imho).

But yeah...still waiting for that creative surge to really jump start my writing again.

Stuck in the rinse cycle for now.

While I'm waiting for inspiration to strike, I have been able to get outside and swing my hickories but only in my backyard, and only using whiffle golf balls.

Still, I'm shaking off the rust and feeling pretty good about it overall.

We're a month away from actually hitting the links, but it's finally within reach.

Might even see if I can get a rematch with my old nemesis...

...Deuce Mulligan...

Due to extenuating circumstances...

...there is no parting shots section this week...just this one sighting of a Sasquatch...

...well, at least the shadow of a Sasquatch.

later, mcm fans...