Memorial Day

I think we are very fortunate that although many in our family have served in the Armed Forces, no one that I know of has been killed in war. I think of several friends who have given their lives for our country. I remember most of all the kid who played tuba next to me in our high school band. He was drafted after graduation and sent to Viet Nam where he was killed. Another young man I knew married his high school sweetheart before he was drafted. He, too, died in an ambush. When the Viet Nam memorial was completed in Washington DC, Time magazine had as its cover that week a section of names from the Wall. His name was prominent on that cover.

I dreaded getting drafted. I hated almost every day I was in uniform. But as I look back on it, I can see that my time in the Air Force made a significant impact on my life. I know it shaped my political views and if nothing else made me a "morning person."

At church yesterday, the service concluded with the playing of taps. I thought of those guys I knew from high school days and the thousands of men and women I never knew like them and thanked God for their devotion to duty, their sacrifice, and their memory which is as close to glorious as human beings may come.

Happy Ascension Day

I wrote these lyrics for Ascension to the tune of Herb Alpert's song, Rise.

Jesus Christ Ascends

Jesus Christ ascends! He's the King of Kings.
His Ascension Day gives our hearts wings.
Spread the news to all - God is on the throne.
He overcomes the fall; He leads his children home.

Jesus Christ ascends! He takes command.
Jesus sits enthroned at God's right hand.
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
Jesus Christ is King and our righteousness.

(bridge)
Christ arose! Satan's on the run.
Christ ascends! Our salvation's done.
Now we wait for Christ to gather in His own.

(repeat verses)

This great feast day of the Church doesn't get as much attention as Christmas and Easter, but what it signifies is the basis of Christ's Lordship over all. It's not just about Jesus getting a free lift off the planet; it's about his ascension to His rightful place in Glory at the right hand of the Father (I Peter 3:21-22). One human heart beats in eternity and it beats for thee.

Ollie Final Update

Ollie has not come back or been found by anyone. So she has probably done what all old dogs are supposed to do in the wild: they wander away and find a place to lie down for the last time.

As much as we treat our dogs as members of the family, they are, after all, dogs and what Ollie did was what she was made to do. I've been watching Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer guy. He actually helped me a lot in coming to terms with Ollie's demise. Dogs are not humans. Dogs become neurotic when people try to treat them emotionally as humans rather than as the pack animals dogs are.

So, Ollie did the natural and "right" thing for a dog and for her pack. She lived a loooong and happy life. If there is such a thing as the rainbow bridge, I'm sure Ollie will be waiting there, looking for a treat as always.

From the Organ Bench (May Church Newsletter)

Questions arose from a few in the parish regarding the appropriateness of the choir offertory during Bishop Iker’s visit. A few complained that “I Will Follow Him” was not “holy music.” This is an easy misunderstanding to clear up. (By the way, the Bishop loved it.)

Christians have always re-claimed popular music for worship and praise. In the Middle Ages, so-called secular music was often brought into the church and given sacred lyrics. Manfred F. Bukofzer writes in the New Oxford History of Music:

Only recently has it been recognized how frequently such interchange took place, and the more we learn about medieval music, the more important it becomes. The practice of borrowing a song from one sphere and making it suitable for use in the other by the substitution of words is known as "parody" or "contrafactum."

Some believe the Wesleys used tavern songs to accompany some of their hymns. Turns out the “bar music” they borrowed doesn’t refer to drinking establishments but to a kind of poetry. But many hymn writers did use songs from contemporary sources. Fanny Crosby wrote over 9,000 hymns (although none appear in our Hymnal), among them “Blessed Assurance,” “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” and many other Christian favorites. She used Scottish and Welsh popular music as well as music written by Stephen Foster. General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, used many parodies. His music minister once quipped, “Why should the Devil have all the good music?”

“I Will Follow Christ” was a parody Dan Woods and I put to the music from the movie, Sister Act, based on the original tune performed by Little Peggy March.

I will follow Him, ever since He touched my heart I knew,
There isn't an ocean too deep,
A mountain so high, it can keep,
Keep me away, away from His love.

To sing these lyrics about anyone other than Christ is ludicrous. Romans 8 says, “Neither height nor depth … can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” Now, that's holy music.

Our newest grandson

Welcome Erik Michael Barnett. Born 4:03 pm May 18. 6 pounds 7 ounces. 19 inches.

Congratulations Michael & Cheryl. He's beautiful!

Lots of hair, too. God is so good.

My First Tuxedo

I decided that since I have never owned a tuxedo and I needed one for the big band performance I would buy one instead of rent. Since I was just subbing, the band leader said I could just wear a black suit and a bowtie, but what fun would that be.

I really like this picture of Mom and me outside the theater during an intermission.

Big Band

My thanks to Jill Clark who recorded this short snippet from last night's fete. I'm seated near the back. I played and vamped for nearly three hours. I got a lot more right than I thought I would. Thankfully, the piano is overwhelmed usually by the brass and saxophones.

This morning I had to get the keyboard back to the church in time for the bishop's visit. The choir sang "I Will Follow Him" from Sister Act. We sang it as I Will Follow Christ. It was a big hit with the bishop with the rest of the congregation.

Ollie Update

Still no sign of Ollie. I called the Animal Control people and went door to door to my neighbors yesterday afternoon. Everyone was very sympathetic, but no one has seen Ollie. One couple from down the street even got on their four wheel ATV (all terrain vehicle) and rode through the neighborhood looking for her.

I try to think of what might have happened, and for the life of me, I can't make sense of it. It's not like she could see the open gate and make a dash for it. Ollie got around by bumping into things and a lot of trial and error. My best guess right now (unless she turns up somehow in the next couple of days) is that she was snatched by a bobcat or coyote from the back yard.

48 Hours is a TV show with the premise that after 48 hours the likelihood of solving a crime greatly diminishes. I think after 48 hours it will be very unlikely that we will see Ollie again.
:-(

Ollie

Yesterday afternoon Ollie just vanished. Being deaf and almost totally blind, I didn't figure she could get far. But after roaming the neighborhood for almost three hours, I found nothing.

The most likely answer to this mystery is that when the lawn guys opened the gates to mow the backyard she might have wandered out. However, they said they did not see her. One of the men went down the hillside to see if she had fallen down there, but found nothing.

It's possible she was grabbed by a coyote or bobcat that leaped over the fence. But it was broad daylight so that doesn't seem likely.

Thunderstorms rolled in this morning. I hope she found a dry place to spend the night. I've put up a "lost dog" notification on the homeowners association website and I've sent an email and picture to the county animal shelter.

I don't think she could have gone too far, so when the rain stops I'll resume the search. Hopefully someone will find her. She had just been groomed and had her bandanna around her neck. So if someone finds her they'll know she's a pet.

At age 17 we were always coming up with scenarios by which Ollie would succumb to the strains of life. But we never anticipated that one day she would just vanish.

Mother's Day Lunch

Sunday was a pretty day so I took Mom to Stringfellow's on the Square here in Granbury for lunch.
We sat out back in the patio which was really delightful.


Hainds and Nancy Laird, friends from church, came along.


Happy Mother's Day, Jewels. You are the greatest.

Reflections on Mother's Day

I thought I would write about my Mom. The last time I wrote about her was as a kid and I still think she has that note. I am now in my 60's and Mom is in her 80's. I think it has taken me this long to understand Mom. In fact, I don't think I really had a clear picture of her until I helped Dad write his book. But there are some insights into one's parents that don't happen until we have the perspective of gray-headed experience.

During most of my adult life, I respected Mom, but I'm not sure I really accepted her for who she was. I used to wish she wasn't so up-tight. I didn't know why she couldn't enjoy things more and become more nurturing. Looking back on it, I don't think I was mature enough to understand how complex Mom is and how she became so tenacious.

I love Mom not just because she gave me birth and made sure I had everything I needed growing up; I appreciate her for setting me on the same path of principled tenaciousness. My odd sense of humor comes from my Mom whose quirky sense of humor was such a contrast to her evangelical zeal. She was impulsive in confrontation but reserved in her affections, but she couldn't help being born into a German-Scotch-Irish family. I used to think she was kinda' mean, but in hindsight I don't think that's true. I think she was and is the product of her up-bringing. Her sternness came from her father who was a bit of a curmudgeon on the outside but a softie on the inside. Her humor came from her grandfather who raised her. As a kid she moved all the time, in and out of schools, not really able to build a lot of lasting friendships. I think that lack of stability in her early life made her tenacious for our family.

The hallmark of her life is her faith in Christ. That is her greatest gift to her family. I appreciate that now more than I ever have. Believing in the sovereignty of God leads me to believe that her character was exactly what was needed to shape my own.

I am extremely blessed to have both parents still with me. I know that won't always be the case. So if you tipped the bubbly, I'd propose a toast to you, Mom. But since you don't, I'll just say Happy Mother's Day. It's all turned out very good. God is true to His Word. And you've been true to Him and to Dad, and that's why I love you.

Happy Mother's Day!

Bowling Cancelled

Last night we decided not to go bowling in celebration of our anniversary, but attended a community choir concert in which several of our friends sing. It was an evening of romantic music, which seemed oddly appropriate to an anniversary somehow. By romantic music, I do not mean 19th century pieces, but mostly music from the 40's and 50's (Cole Porter and a little George Gershwin). It's true most of the audience were older than us, but I think the only modern music was a medley from Phantom of the Opera.

The more I listen to Phantom of the Opera the more kitsch it sounds to me. I wonder if Andrew Lloyd Weber has the same experience I do when I hear people singing a song I've written; I sit there and shudder at how simplistically hideous it sounds.

So Julie and I started year 36 this morning with a kiss and a prayer for continued blessings. Real romance, that.

35 Years

Today is our 35th anniversary. Since our wedding was on the day they ran the Kentucky Derby, it always seems like our celebration should be on Derby Day more than May 4.

35th anniversary is supposedly jade or coral. We were looking at gifts we could exchange and saw everything from a trip to China or snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef to jewelry.

We decided that tonight ... we would go bowling.

Squirrel Buster

Got a new bird feeder that is supposed to defeat the squirrels. We shall see. The way it works is that ring at the bottom supports song birds, but if heavier wildlife try to grab hold, that ring falls and blocks access to the food. As I said, we shall see.


Up in the tree, a male cardinal waits for me to clear off as breakfast awaits.

Camp Crucis Church Picnic

The camera setting got messed up, but here are some pictures of our church's picnic yesterday out at Camp Crucis. There is a lovely church on the campground where we had mass and I played. When you bring together both our early service people and late service worshippers, we actually filled up the place. The singing was good (and so was the music, if I must say so myself).


The rain held off and we were able to have a lovely picnic.

Storms

Saturday we had a lot of lightning and some rain. Of course, Katie went wild as the storms passed through.

One bad consequence was that my wireless router was somehow fried on Saturday, but I didn't know that until several hours after being on the phone with first the cable internet people and then the router people. So, I went to Best Buy and purchased another router. Fiddled around for a couple of hours last night trying to make the "easy installation" promised on the box come true, but couldn't connect to the internet. I decided I would sleep on it and what do you know -- when I awoke this morning, it was working.

So I'm back on line, mainlining my internet addiction.

Firmware Updates

You've heard of hardware and software. But you may not know about firmware. Firmware is the programming that inhabits more and more appliances.

I couldn't understand why my Blu-ray DVD player was taking so long to load movies and in some cases wouldn't load them at all. Turns out the problem was out-dated firmware. Changes happen so rapidly that companies have to keep up with changing formats and new products. I went to the Sony website (it's a Sony Blu-ray) and found how to check the version of my current firmware. It was 2.0. Well, the current upgrade was 4.5. No wonder I was having trouble getting the newer DVDs to play.

Sony gave some pretty good instructions and I was able to upgrade the firmware without a problem. The movie that would not load the night before booted right up.

So, if you have an appliance that is having problems, and it has some kind of input, whether disc or a USB port, check to be sure you can't update the firmware. It might save you some money and frustration.