Jesse James is alive and well

Yes, that is right my friends, Jesse James is alive and well, and doing his famous act once again, highway robbery! I see him at it every time I pull into the gas station. Will someone please arrest this criminal once and for all. The question every one has a different answer for is just what is the alias he is going under today. I propose it is not any single person, but rather a whole mass of people dedicated to control of all people. Who is Jesse James?

88 Twice

What in the heck is this world coming to! How in the world could I have done it again, playing alone, counting each stroke as if it were the only one that counts, The fairways were good to me today! And I even made a few 10 to 15 foot putts. Before I know it I will have to go on tour, right! Ha! that is a laugh, but it was sweet, no pressure, missing a friend through, but never the less sweet.

Now the real post of the day, is for the sweetpea III in my life, and it is another 8
Yes Isabelle is 8 years old today, the 1st of July 2008
She is an increditable 8, a sweet little doll, and I love the hugs I get.
She is smart and has talent even at this age.
She is learning piano
She is able to speak some Spanish
But most of all she is a sweet person.
Happy Birthday Isabelle

How is it so

As the day for golf is upon me, and having visited with my ole friend yesterday, seeing him, and knowing it is finished, our trips to the course, it saddens me, and the thought of being out there alone, brings to mind some thoughts of how this "game" has some parallels to life itself. For one thing this is one of the few places a person can call a penalty on himself. If for instance I hit the ball into a fairway water hazard, who is there to know that will cost a stroke, just hit another ball, and no one will know. Ah there is the rub, I will know, now is that not like life itself? Who knows what is in another persons heart? but we all know what is in our own, and do we just hit another or do we call a penalty on ourselves. Another thing is when I get to that tee box and tee up the ball for that hopefully long straight drive right down the center of the fairway. Sometimes the ball just does not obey the desire of my mind, it slices off to the right into the trees or hooks off to the left into some other trouble spot. A spot the keeps me from having a clear vision of the green, the goal. Life sure seems to follow that course from time to time, we have all the right intentions to live the straight and narrow, but we slice to the right and find ourselves in trouble, without a clear vision of the goal. The next is what to do now, here I am in the trees, or in a fairway sand trap, and no chance of getting to the green from this spot. Do I just take a chance and hit it in that direction hoping to get through all the trees, or do I choose another course or action and hit a safe shoot out to the center of the fairway where I then can once more see the green, the goal and aim again for the finish. The last contrast I think of is the final score, the whole of the game, the total strokes, the final number of times I have hit the ball, including the drive, the fairway woods or irons onto or close to the green, the chips onto the green and the number of putts to get it into the hole, including any of those undesired penalties. Is not the sum of life itself? The whole of the course of life, we hit some good ones and not so good ones, but one good hit does not make a good game, as well as one bad hit does either, it is the whole of the game, and is not life just like that, one good hit, one good deed doesn't make the whole life, nor does one bad mistake ruin the whole life, it is the sum of the whole life, and the goal itself is eternity, The total of all the hits, good one, including those not so good ones. And the only person who really knows the complete true score is the person himself, and of course the designer of the course, the one who gives the trophy to the winner, God.
Well, I tee off at high noon, and see just what this day has to offer.

Father's Day

Today is the day this country, as far as I know, celebrates the fathers that populate our society. Being one of the senior fathers of my particular clan, tribe, family,I have the honor and privilege of giving praise to two of the younger fathers, my two sons-in-law. Tom Hintz, who is married to my older daughter Anne and father to Victoria and Margaret. Tom is a good man, first he loves the Lord and is guiding his family in this pursuit of living a life honoring the ultimate Father. He loves my Daughter and my Granddaughters, and that is a very good thing, he demonstrates patience, and kindness toward his family and serves them with his whole heart. Jason Gregga, the husband of my younger daughter Sarah and father to Isabelle and Sophia is also a good man. First, again, he loves the Lord and guides his family in the Fathers ways. His love for my daughter and granddaughters is without question . He demonstrates gentleness, and goodness toward them and also serves them with his whole heart.

I am so pleased and proud of both of them, I am a blessed father to have the two daughters I do, and the four Granddaughters I do, but with all that, the blessing of having these two men as part of my family as added a completeness.

Happy and blessed fathers day, Tom and Jason

8th Grade is over

Yesterday was road trip day, for Papa, Nana, Sarah and Isabelle. A ride to Jubilee College State Park near Peoria Illinois , the home of our oldest granddaughter Victoria. The occasion, a party to celebrate the graduation from 8th grade. It does not come as a surprise to me that Victoria is now 14 years old, it does not come as a surprise to me that she has turned into a beautiful young lady, it does not surprise me one little bit for I only need see her mother, the gentle, kind, loving, caring mother who has poured herself into this young lady. Remembering the days gone by, walking my daughter down the aisle, remember the days rushing to the hospital to hold for the first time in my life, a granddaughter. I remember the day at the Little Red Schoolhouse when you were dedicated to the Lord outside in the beauty of Gods creation, I am remembering the days of weekly visits watching you crawl, walk, run, and play. I remember you loving Keno, he was bigger than you, I remember that great T-Ball game in Brookfield, and those dinners at the Irish Pub, You might still like those shepards pies, In more recent days I remember a trip to an Indiana State Park to camp out together, Victoria Margaret their Mom and Dad in a tent and Nana an I in the lodge, oh how sweet it is, remembering the rendezvous at KFC to pick you and your sister up to spend a week with Papa and Nana, the trips to Newport Aquarium, and other places. Remember those years of getting updated pictures, Pictures with Floyd. Remember those days when my heart was full just thinking about you, and now I have more days to remember. Congratulations dear Victoria, I am so proud of the young lady you have become.

88

Now I know you just have to wonder why the title is 88 and by no means of the imagination you would have to use. Yes, that is right 88, this was due to for the most part 7 out of 18 holes I scored a par. Now I cannot hardly believe this myself, if I wasn't writing in scores myself, I would of had to question it, but as I kept the score, that is what it is. And I even had my older friend with me today, with little conversation as he has lost one of his earring aids and can't hear very well even in the ear that still has one. So it was a sign language day for me, touching and pointing to a ball, handing him the right club and facing him in the right direction. I guess the wonder of it all, was not a soul was before us now behind us, it was like we were all along out there on the course, which is a real plus for me, not being under pressure from a group pushing us from behind, especially when my friend takes as many swings as he does to get to the green. But today I even scoped up his ball on the way to mine and threw his out somewhere close by.
The difficult part was to see how worse he is getting and that his golf shoes now mark up the greens a little as he shuffles along. But by the grace of God, we had as much time as we needed and I was relaxed in order to plan my own shoots which really came together for me this day. I am amazed that not only did I break 100, which only 10% of amateur do, I broke 90, That I just have to boost about. Will I ever repeat such a performance as that? Only the shadow knows!

Tire Marks

I have been accused of looking sick from cigars or worn out from the energy of the four little ladies in my life. And to be truthful, all people drain the energy from me, I am not a very social being to start with, enjoying the solitude of my own mind has been a great part of my life. Sharing with others, small talk and jibber jabber about whatever is not one of my strong suits, yet just spending time with my girls brings a joy to the inner self, watching them be who they are, seeing them enjoy each other, that is my joy. Oh the drain is still there, it always costs something, and the older I get the cost has a greater effort, you can bet I am willing to spend it, whatever the amount, but never the less if I look worse for the wear, it is by choose not chance.