21

July 4th @ Margaritaville  (BTW- the beard is now history!)

Will Jones turns 21 today. Our little boy has grown into a fine young man. He's a loving son, an honor student, a faithful boyfriend and a caring friend. He has has always (well...MOST always!) been a joy to be around, but I have never enjoyed his company more that I do today. We are much alike in so many ways. We share passions for music, movies and grand romantic gestures. We are of one mind when it comes to the politics of the day. And we both believe there are few things in life better than a good sausage gravy!

Tonight we will celebrate this momentous occasion with a dinner with family and friends at Maggianos. It is hard to believe 21 years have passed since Will joined our family, but it is even harder to remember that there was a time before that. I could not be more proud of the man he has become and the son he has always been. We all know that the bond between  mother and son is always special, and Will and Marilyn certainly share that unique connection. I am just so thankful to be able to say that he and I have something very special as well. I love you buddy, and can't wait to see what then next chapters of life have in store for you. Have a wonderful weekend of celebrations!!!

Dad

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

As many of you know, this blog is currently on hiatus. When I started this break over a month ago, I reserved the right to post on special occasions without jumping back into blogging with both feet. Today is one of those special occasions. In fact, it is a MOST special occasion. Tonight a group of 7 of us are going to the premier of The Force Awakens at 8 pm. Will is here along with Michelle. Lisa Jewett and her son Scott are joining us and so is Michelle's brother Alex. We are all very excited! And THAT is the second most important thing about today...

You see today is Lisa Jewett's birthday. Seeing the movie tonight is only one of the celebrations planned for this weekend (several of them surprises!), and it is my prayer that it will all be amazing for her. Tomorrow she will head to St. Pete to spend the next 8 days with her oldest son and his family, including all 4 of her grandkids. I am so happy she is feeling good and gets that time with those precious children and her son. But we have not often been apart over the past 3 months, and I confess I am going to miss her terribly here at Chez Jones.

It is not unusual for people to say about a dear friend that "they are like part of the family." Lisa is much more than that to us. She IS part of our family. Will calls and texts with her on a regular basis to see how she is doing. Marilyn has welcomed her into our home and helped care for her. I spent 9 days and 8 nights by her side in the hospital after her surgery and have cared for her in our home over the past 28 days- and for many days before that during her chemo treatments. My friends- many of whom have never met her- text me often to inquire how she is feeling. I have made new friends as her friends and family texted me when she was unable to use her phone- and some of them continue to do so! Lisa is family.

As I spent that time with her in the hospital and have driven her to doctor's appointments, chemo treatments and various other things people quite naturally assume that I am her spouse or her boyfriend. When we laugh and reply, "No, we are just best friends" people look at us like we are lying. Nurses at Moffitt Cancer Center pulled me aside and questioned why I was staying with her 24/7 after the surgery, saying that "just friends" never did that- in fact, most families don't. My answer was simple- I stayed because my friend Lisa needed me to, and I am honored that she has trusted me enough to put herself in my care. In truth, I guess in some small way we are lying when we say "just friends." The word FRIEND is not nearly big enough, but our bond is very difficult to put into words. We are OHANA in the best sense of the word, and caring for her has never been a burden. It is a joy, and as I often tell her, a job I refuse to be fired from. She's stuck with me!

So Happy Birthday to my Lisa! I pray your day is filled with joy and peace, and that your weekend will be full of glorious surprises and smiling grandkids. And when you are ready to move back in with us after Christmas to prepare for more chemo, your room will be waiting for you. And so will your family!  We love you very much!!!

Because of Jesus,

Celebrate the Day!

Today my lovely wife Marilyn celebrates her birthday, and I hope you will all join me in wishing her the happiest of days! She's been my partner in marriage for 29 years and a wonderful mother to Will for the past 20. She has loved and cared for us both in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse. She is the rock of our family, and we love her very much. This afternoon she will be headed over to Disney and will spend the evening with Will and Michelle at EPCOT. It's going to be a day full of celebrations! 

Happy Birthday, Marilyn! We love you. May the coming year be full of blessings and joy!!!

Happy Birthday, Michelle!

Many of you know that I am a believer in Ohana. This Hawaiian word loosely translates to "family," but not in the traditional sense. My dad has been gone 10 years now, and I miss him. I love my mother very much. But as an only child with no close cousins, the truth is my family has always been made of people with whom there is no blood relationship. My family is extended- in a wide variety of directions. And that has been one of the true blessings of my life.

A few years ago our son Will began dating one of his best friends, a beautiful young woman named Michelle Carroll. She immediately became a part of our Ohana. She is sweet, funny, smart and caring. Her family has been wonderful to Will and to us, often including Marilyn, Lisa and I in their special events. We have come to love Michelle almost as much as Will does. And that is saying something...

Today Michelle celebrates her birthday. She and Will will be taking a day off from work and college (they have no Monday classes anyway) to spend the day at the Magic Kingdom, with dinner tonight at The San Angel Inn at EPCOT. We wish them a wonderful day full of joy and surprises. The great Disney film Lilo & Stitch teaches us that "Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten." What an amazing definition of what family ought to be. Michelle, thank you for being such a huge part of our Ohana. Happy birthday sweetie- we love you very much!!!

Two Things

I thought about doing a Wordless Wednesday post today, but I am not sure I am capable of being wordless. But here's what I've got...

* There are very few things in my life as a sports fan better than the 7th game of a World Series. And tonight, we get one. It's been an amazing postseason that deserves and incredible finish. Let's go Royals!!!

* There are very few people people in my life who have been a better friend to me than Jerry Hanbery. Tomorrow is the 2nd anniversary of his 39th birthday. A celebration is definitely in order!

It's not a Wordless Wednesday, but it's about as close as I get! Have a great day, my friends!

Because of Jesus,

The Birthday Girl

Today my lovely wife Marilyn celebrates her birthday, and I hope you will all join me in wishing her the happiest of days! She's been my partner in marriage for 28 years and a wonderful mother to Will for the past 19. She has loved and cared for us both in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse. She is the rock of our family, and we love her very much. She actually has a a day off today, and we look forward to a full day of celebrating with her. Happy Birthday, Marilyn! May the coming year be full of blessings and joy!!!

The Ol' Double Nickel

Today is my birthday. I am 55 years old. They say age is just a number. I am guessing that whoever "they" is hasn't hit the ol' double nickel! I know in this day and age 55 is not really old, but it sure does sound like it ought to be. So today I will celebrate appropriately. I will eat a high fiber cereal for breakfast. I will complain about things I know nothing about. I will drive too slow in the left lane and NEVER turn off my turn signal. I will sign up for AARP, and with any luck I will eat my birthday dinner early bird style- around 4 PM. And then it's off to bed around 9:30. It's time to settle in to a new lifestyle.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth! It was a wonderful weekend filled with awesome football and baseball, great times with family and friends and even a movie (The Equalizer) with my dear friend Lisa. We all celebrated last night at the Olive Garden while watching Will work; tonight there will be big birthday dinner at Bahama Breeze. Tomorrow there will be final preparations for my trip to NC, and then Wednesday I will make the drive north. It's going to be a great birthday week, full of adventure and excitement. Maybe 55 really is just number. I feel good, life is good, and I am loved and blessed. I don't feel a day over 52! Have a wonderful day, my friends, and remember to enjoy this day that we have all been given. 

Because of Jesus,

A Birthday Triple Play

Sometimes you can KNOW something for years without ever truly being AWARE of it. It is not new knowledge to me that three of my friends, from three different eras of my life, were born on September 10th. What had never really occurred to me, however, is that ALL three of them were born on September 10th. That makes this a much more special day than I had ever realized. It's a birthday triple play!

Lisa Ramos Moran has been in my life so long that I don't actually remember when we met. It was probably junior high school, but it could have been earlier and it may have been a bit later. Lisa became a part of the New Garden Friends Meeting youth group around the same time I did (1972), and we shared many friends and many adventures. Everyone who was part of that group has a special place in my heart, and Lisa is no different. We were together on a New York trip in high school when she met the love her life, Dan Moran. They have been married 30 years now and have an amazing family. She has given her life to ministry and the service of others and is making a huge difference in the lives of so many young people. Lisa and I shared one special bond in high school, one little tradition that has never been forgotten. Anytime we would see each other we offered up this loving greeting- I would say "RAM IT Ramos!" and she would respond, "JAM IT Jones!" Now that's love. Happy birthday, Lisa. For the next few weeks, you are as old as I am!

Leigh Ann Everhart Venable was a camper at Quaker Lake Camp my first summer as a counselor in 1978. The first thing I remember about Leigh Ann was seeing her in the swimming pool on Sunday afternoon and thinking to myself that she could not possibly be a camper- she looked too old. The second thing I remember was eavesdropping on a conversation she was having with Cynthia Davis about a party one of them had been to. So I was able to embarrass her right off the bat! We became good friends that week, even surviving a prank where my guys stole her suitcase and hid it in a corn field.That closeness continued when we mourned the loss of another camper in car wreck later that summer. She was later with me when I drove a van from NC to NYC and helped keep me calm in the madness. There was also a legendary 6 hour brain game on the way back- but I will spare her the humiliation of saying WHY it took so long! As the years passed, we remained friends, and eventually worked together on the QLC staff. For reasons that cannot be rationally explained she married my good friend Terry Venable 29 years ago and I was honored to be in their wedding just as Terry was later in ours. Shortly after we left Springfield Friends Meeting, Terry became the pastor there and Leigh Ann and I struck a deal. If I didn't tell anyone at SFM any stories about her, she wouldn't tell any about me. It was a pact we each gladly honored.  When anyone first met Leigh Ann back in those QLC days their immediate response was to comment on her beauty. Once you got to know her you realized that the beauty ran clear to the bone- and it still does. Happy birthday, Leigh Ann! And notice I am not mentioning any numbers...

Todd Willis was a junior in high school when Marilyn and I arrived in Kissimmee in 1994. He was the son of the senior pastor and an important part of that group. He immediately became one of my favorite people, despite accidently telling us to "GET OUTA TOWN!" on our third night in Florida. He cheated at every game we ever played; he had terrible luck with the ladies; and he was a leader in helping to bring that group back from the edge of extinction. When I was going to wait a tear before planning a New York trip, he pestered me to do in his senior year- and I did. His lovely wife Kristin has told me she feels like she was on that trip because she has heard his stories so many times. He visited us in Chicago right before his wedding. He has been a huge support to me through all of my trials, writing a beautiful letter for me that carried extra weight because he is an attorney. He and his family have recently moved back to Florida, and we cannot wait to hang with them again soon. Happy birthday, Todd! And don't cheat blowing out the candles...

Three wonderful people. Three birthdays. Three eras. Lisa and Leigh Ann know each other through Quaker circles, but neither of them know Todd. Celebrating with them reminds me how varied and blessed my life has been. And while they were part of my life at different times, we have a shared faith that binds us- and we'll always have New York! I am so blessed to know each of them. May this day be full of joy and blessings in their honor!!!

Because of Jesus,

Happy Birthday, Will Jones!

I normally seek to be humble and restrained in my interactions with the online world, but today I am going to brag. If fact, I am going to be totally insufferable. You see, today is my son's 19th birthday. And regardless of who you are or who your son is, today I celebrate the fact that my son is better than yours. There- I said it. My son is the best!

Why would I be so obnoxious about Will Jones? As we used to say in my neighborhood growing up, "It's no brag- just fact." Will is an honor student entering his sophomore year of college. This summer he has taken two classes while working jobs at both Chick-fil-A and Olive Garden- and maintaining a great relationship with his girlfriend. Today, as we celebrate his birthday, he wanted to include my mother in the festivities so we are all (including Michelle) going up to have lunch with her. That's how thoughtful he is. No one could ask for a better son.

That quasi-beard he's sporting in the picture at the top? That's just two days without shaving. He ate that Fudge Mudslide all by himself. The boy has skills! He can also cook. He makes great chili and slaw for hot dogs and has been known to throw down a mean meatloaf as well. Will is a gifted writer and musician. He has been a brave child out of necessity- he has me for a father! He not only puts up with my old friends and old stories, he actually seems to enjoy them on occasion. He understands things about me that make many people scratch their heads in confusion. He treats people with dignity and respect, but stands up for himself as well. I could not be more proud of the man he has become.

But that's not even the best part of being Will's dad. The best part is how much of life we get to share. Our love of music, movies and a shared sense of humor give us much to talk about. We both enjoy making fun of the idiocies of politics and politicians, and going all Mystery Science Theater 3000 on bad movies and TV shows. We both were/are obsessed with How I Met Your Mother. He loves going to church with us. In short, I'd love hanging out with Will even if I wasn't his father. He's just that cool. I'm so glad I get to spend this day celebrating with him, Marilyn and Michelle!

So be sure and leave Will a comment and wish him HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And if you feel really depressed because you now know you don't have the best son in the world, let us know. I'm sure Will can offer words of comfort. Yeah...he's that good...

Happy Birthday, Marilyn!

Happy Birthday to my lovely wife, Marilyn!  She is pictured here at her favorite place with her favorite man, our son Will. I pray it is a day full of blessings for her!

Because of Jesus,

"They Say It's Your Birthday..."

It happens every year at this time. There's no stopping it. October 6th is my birthday. For a few months I will be as old as some of my friends (Steve, Susan, Denise) that I like to to harass about their "old age." To celebrate my big day, I want you all to do something for me this weekend. It's been a long year here at Castle Jones, and aside from losing 3 of my toes, Will graduating from high school and me being diagnosed with diabetes (just to name a few!), another casualty has been Comment Day. There hasn't been one in over a year! So this weekend, as my gift from you, I want you to help me resurrect this self-created event! You have already successfully completed Step 1 of this not-too-complicated process by finding a blog to read- this one!  Step 2 is leaving a comment on this blog once you have finished reading this deep and meaningful post (no extra charge for the sarcasm).  Step 3 (and this is the really important part) is to go find another blog to read, and then repeat Step 2.  Do this over and over, so that bloggers all around the world might be encouraged to continue sharing recipes, stories, inspiration, insight and bad politics with us all.  :)

It may sound like I am asking you to do this, but in fact you have no choice.  Because you see, you need to get enthusiastic and encourage the bloggers you know, and NOTHING makes a blogger feel better than getting comments.  In fact, here's what I need to you to do...

(I know it should be "IT'S"...drives me crazy too!)

So get excited!!! Leaving comments is now a moral imperative, because it's a birthday wish- just be glad I didn't ask for cash! I'll be 54 years old on October 6th; there's no telling how many (or how few!) Comment Days I have left!  :)  So get busy reading and encouraging.  We're all in this together!  Have a blessed day, everyone!

Because of Jesus,

An Ornament Story: The Pickle

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite people in this world, my dear friend Lisa Jewett.  In honor of her special day, today's ornament story concerns a special (although a little strange!) gift she gave us back in 2005.  Here is the legend of The Christmas Pickle!

According to Lisa, the idea of putting pickles on Christmas trees goes back to Germany during one of the World Wars.  Soldiers marching through the German countryside would often enter house looking for food and take all that a family might have. One Christmas Eve a family, trying to save some food for themselves, hid some pickles in their tree, where they went unnoticed by the scavengers.  As a side note, we do not know if these were individual pickles or the entire jar.  In any case, the family had a pickle feast!  Over the years that followed it became tradition to hide one pickle in the tree on Christmas Eve as a reminder of that night. The child who could find the pickle on Christmas morning would receive an extra gift and much good luck for the coming year.  The Christmas Pickle became a symbol of blessing and prosperity.  So when Lisa presented us with our very own pickle ornament, we hung it on our tree.  Even though it seemed quite odd...

We lost touch with Lisa for a while after we left Tampa, but today she is a part of our family. She rides to church with us, eats Sunday dinner with us, and is the reason we love Taco Tuesdaze so much. Marilyn and I had dinner with her just last night.  That odd pickle hanging on our tree is a reminder that we have indeed been blessed by her friendship and her love.  Happy Birthday, Lisa!  And may Santa bring you a case of pickles this year!

Merry Christmas, one and all!

Happy Birthday, Marilyn!

Happy Birthday to my lovely wife Marilyn!  We intend to celebrate in style!

29 Again!

Today is the 24th anniversary of my 29th birthday, and in celebration of this special day I am taking a break from serious blogging.  In lieu of reading a post from me, I suggest that you turn your attention to Florida/LSU at 3:30 PM and USC/Georgia at 7 PM.  Wouldn't want you to get bored!  :)  

See you tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, Will Jones!

Celebrating with Marilyn and the Hanbery family at Mama Melrose's yesterday

Today my son turns 17.  Before you ask, let me tell you a few things. No, I can't believe he is 17 already.  Yes, I do feel a little old.  And no, I could not be more proud of him.


Will has led a far from normal life.  His actual birth was more of an adventure than anyone can believe (click here for that story).  As a child growing up, his father (that would be me) was a youth pastor.  The cool part of that was growing up hanging out with some outstanding teenagers who loved him and taught him a lot about life. He got to do a lot of great things many kids never experience.  But he also had to move a lot. When he was 4 he moved from Kissimmee to Chicago, leaving behind friends and a set of grandparents who loved him more than anything.  Only 18 months later he was uprooted again, this time moving to Tampa.  Four years later a pastor with no heart and no guts fired his dad (deservedly) but then cut him off from all of his friends at the church by refusing to let him continue in the children's ministry. In that same year his very best friend, my Dad, passed away.  He finished 5th grade in Tampa, but then relocated again to Waycross. Georgia.  That year, while in so many ways a disaster in our lives, remains special to me, because is was to be the only year I was his father and his youth pastor.  After I messed up our lives completely in 2007, we moved back to Tampa. It occurred to me the other day that Will has now lived in this house for 5 years, longer than he had ever lived in one house before in his young life. He has had to put up with a whole lot of crap because of me. It would have been easy to become bitter, cynical and hard-hearted after all he has been through.  But instead...


Will is the best son ever. There I said it. The rest of you just have to get over it!  :)  His attitude towards life is both honest and refreshing.  He treats people both young and old with respect. He speaks his mind. He is a leader among his peer group and among his high school marching band. He is a great student. He listens to great old music (Springsteen, The Beatles, Andy Williams...yes, THAT Andy Williams!) on vinyl while introducing me to great modern bands like Fun and My Chemical Romance. He loves the same classic comedies (Young Frankenstein, Airplane) that I do, while having his own strong opinions about the movies of today.  He wears Ferris Bueller and Anchorman t-shirts. We can (and do) sit and talk forever about movies, music, TV and even politics.  Our family loves to eat together, laugh together, watch The Big Bang Theory & American Idol together-  and to worship together.  In short, we are blessed. And Will is a huge part of that blessing.


Will got his birthday celebration off to a great start this past weekend as he and Marilyn spent  time in Orlando with our great friends Jerry & Melissa Hanbery. They visited a couple of colleges, went to the Disney Hollywood Studios and had a great meal at Mama Melrose's Italian Restaurant. Today, he and I will no doubt have lunch at the Hibachi Buffet, and tonight his closest friends are throwing him a party.  There is no question in my mind that he will have a great day, because he refuses to let anything keep him down.  Ever!


Happy Birthday, Will Jones!  You are a great son, a great friend, and an outstanding young man.  I know God has great things in store for you, and I am so blessed to be a part of your life.  Enjoy your day.  And never forget this one basic truth- Jack Nicholson was the best Joker. I love you, buddy!


Because of Jesus,

Whatevers

Happy Birthday, Teresa!

The other day on Facebook I was surprised by the following post:  

I feel a shout-out to my good and faithful friend Carl is overdue and necessary...for being a prefect friend who's gone above and beyond being supportive, fun and encouraging!  Thanks and love you!  :)

This post came from Teresa Reep Tysinger, who is this very day celebrating a birthday.  She is no longer 30; she and twin sis Cyndi (see yesterday's post) and now officially IN their 30s.  Be sure and mention that to her.  :)  Anyway, in light of this special day and her kind words to me, it felt like it was time to say a few things here about my friend Teresa.  Whether she likes it or not...

Most of my posts about former students- and Teresa and I first met at FUMC-Kissimmee in 1994- focus on our past together.  This one is much more about the present.  Between 2002 and 2009 or so we lost track of each other a bit, but over the past few years we had gradually reconnected.  The love and support she showed me as I tried to put my life back together was special and meaningful.  Teresa and I always shared a unique bond.  As we like to say, we "get" each other.  Back in the youth group days she would often be the one who laughed at my jokes when others gave me blank stares. Perhaps more importantly, I laughed at hers!  She was always the first to encourage me when things weren't working the way I wanted them to. She always knew she could come to me with the problems that plague most every teenage girl.  We were close, and she looked up to me and counted on me.  I was afraid the later failings in my personal life would disappoint her too much and that our relationship would never be the same.  I was right.  It is so much stronger...

Over the past couple of months we have found ways and excuses to talk, text or email almost every day.  I find her to be a heroic woman.  Her wonderful husband of almost 10 years, Eric, has been working away from home for the better part of the last year, pursuing his dream of being the stage manager for a Broadway show.  Teresa holds down a job, takes care of the house, is a wonderful mother to her 3 year old daughter Emma, and offers support and encouragement to her hubby- all while missing him terribly.  She is a gifted writer, a professional graphic design artist and a most creative cook.  My wife Marilyn said yesterday that she wished "that Teresa would slow down, because she is making the rest of us feel lazy!" As we reconnected in a big way after I joined the world of unlimited texting, I saw my task as being someone who was glad to listen when she needed to talk.  The truth is, we needed each other.  We talk about everything.  She lives in Greensboro, NC, only minutes from my childhood home and the schools I attended, so we talk often about the city.  She works for a UMC, and we share stories about working for a church- both the blessings and the horrors.  We talk about our day in, day out lives- our frustrations and our joys.  We both have excellent taste in music, and we love to swap songs.  We remember the great times we shared in places like New York City, Myrtle Beach and Spanish Wells.  We ask and answer questions and share hopes and dreams.  And quite often we make each other laugh hysterically.  After all of these years we still "get" each other.  Some people wander through life without finding anyone with whom they truly connect. The two of us are blessed to have wonderful spouses.  We are also blessed to have each other.  It is a rare and wonderful friendship, and I praise God everyday for returning Teresa to my life.

One final, sort of funny note about all of this.  Teresa and I have decided that the word "friend" just doesn't quite do justice to the relationship we share, and neither does anything else we can think of.  So we have decided that we are "whatevers."  The kind of friend that you can count on whatever the situation, whatever the time, whatever the problem.  Whatevers.  I may not quite know what a "whatever" is, but I sure don't plan on ever being without one again.  Happy birthday, Teresa- and thanks for everything!  I love you too!

Because of Jesus,

Happy Birthday, Marilyn!

My lovely wife is celebrating her birthday today.  She's 29- again!  :)  I hope you will join me in wishing her a blessed day.  She is my soul mate, my confidant, my best friend and the love of my life.  We spent yesterday celebrating at Downtown Disney with Jerry & Melissa Hanbery, and then later shared dinner with our dear friend Lisa Jewett.  Today will be spent with family.  Happy Birthday, Boo.  May this coming year be full of joy and blessings. 


Because of Jesus,

It's Comment Day- AGAIN!!!

Welcome to the first Thursday of the month, which is now the official blogosphere home of Comment Day!  You have already successfully completed Step 1 of this prestigious event by finding a blog to read- this one!  Step 2 is leaving a comment on this blog once you have finished reading this deep and meaningful post (no extra charge for the sarcasm).  Step 3 (and this is the really important part) is to go find another blog to read, and then repeat Step 2.  Do this over and over, so that bloggers all around the world might be encouraged to continue sharing recipes, stories, inspiration, insight and bad politics with us all.  :)


It may sound like I am asking you to do this, but in fact you have no choice.  Because you see

 So you owe me!!!  I'm 52 years old today; there's no telling how many (or how few!) Comment Days I have left!  :)  So get busy reading and encouraging.  We're all in this together!  Have a blessed day, everyone!


Because of Jesus,

A Visit With Dad

Today would have been my Dad's 77th birthday.  He passed away in 2006, and as I have written here before not a day goes by that I don't think about him.  Yesterday, as I was thinking about how I wanted to honor his memory here on the blog, I began to ponder a question.  What would Dad and I be talking about if he were still here?  What were his favorite things? So without further adieu, here are topics that would have filled our conversation today.  I hope they give you some insight into the man I loved so much.

We would have been talking about Walt Disney World.  There is no doubt that we would have met he and my Mom at WDW either this past weekend or this coming weekend, and in any case he and Mom would have been going today.  They would have gone to visit his favorite character, Goofy- and Dad would have been wearing one of his many Goofy t-shirts.  They would have had lunch at The San Angel Inn, Mama Melrose's, Beaches & Cream or one of their other favorite places.  At some point, he would have gotten a beer at the Rose & Crown Pub at the UK Pavilion in Epcot, then settled down to listen to some music across the way in the garden.  He may be doing that anyway- a part of him was sprinkled outside the pub.  And we would have had his big birthday meal somewhere on site.  We loved eating at WDW.  Actually, Dad loved everything at WDW.


We would have been talking about football.  Dad played, coached and watched his entire life, and our conversations were seldom just about who won or who played well.  We talked strategy and the deeper "Xs and Os" of the game.  This particular day we would have been speaking in awe of the Georgia Tech option offense and how it ran all over our beloved UNC Tar Heels.  We would have been complaining about not being able to watch our Tampa Bay Bucs due to the NFL blackout policy.  We would have been thrilled that Tom Brady threw 4 interceptions on Sunday.  And we would have told old war stories about his days coaching the Guilford College Steelers youth footballs teams, and about their 3 city championships.  And when the football talk was done, he would have lamented the plight of his Atlanta Braves, now so close to falling out of the playoffs.  Maybe he can pull them through from his current home...


We would have talked about our favorite TV programs.  Dad loved great sitcoms like Seinfeld, Taxi, Friends, Fraiser and WKRP in Cincinatti.  I have no doubt that he would absolutely LOVE The Big Bang Theory, and that Sheldon Cooper would have joined his pantheon of favorite characters, along with Joey Tribbiani, Dr. Johnny Fever and Rev. Jim Ignatowski.  No doubt we would have recapped last week's season opener of TBBT.


He would have told me where he was playing golf tomorrow.  He played most every Wednesday with a group of guys from his community.  Dad was a pretty good golfer, who did have a hole-in-one in his 60s.  But he just loved to play.  His blood pressure was always lower after a round of golf.


And finally, we would have talked about his only grandchild, Will.  This would have taken a while, because he wanted to know everything, every detail of what was going on in Will's life.  I have written it before, and I said at his memorial service, but it is the truth.  My Dad was a very, very, very good father.  But he was a GREAT grandfather!  I know he is so proud of who the little boy he knew has become as a teenager.


So Happy Birthday, Dad!  I love you and miss you, and I miss talking with you about life.  I know everyone has a different idea of what heaven is like, but for you I have a feeling there's an Irish Pub with lots of big screen TVs.  Celebrate in style today.  And if you can pull any strings up there, could you arrange for the Orioles to finish sweeping the Red Sox and change the NFL rules back to a time when hitting the QB was legal?  I'd appreciate it.  :)  


Because of Jesus,

Happy Birthday Marilyn!!!

My lovely wife Marilyn is celebrating her birthday today.  A gentleman never reveals a ladies age, so I will simply tell you that she is younger than me.  Also that one of her favorite shows is Hawaii 5-O.  And that's all I have to say about that...

I have told you many times on the pages of this blog (see last year's birthday post here) what an amazing woman she is, and how much I love her.  I have told you how the grace she showed me in our darkest hour saved me from myself and kept my faith alive.  And I have told you what an incredible mom she is to Will.  All of those things that I told you are true- and every one of them is an understatement.  Marilyn is my best friend and my partner for life.  I wish I could give her everything she deserves, but for today, I can give her this.  I love you, Boo!  I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!  See you all tomorrow for a special Sunday edition of Shout Outs!

And here's a little birthday present for her:  Have a ROCKIN' BIRTHDAY, Marilyn!!!!