Short but sweet

Liz's sister invited us to spend Thanksgiving with her and her family. So we packed our bags and headed South for a long weekend. When we go home, we usually stay with my folks. Mom and Dad have been very generous with their house and have a standing invite for us to stay there. When we stay there we don't see Liz's family much. Her family is usually working and we can't go to her father's house for too long because of health reasons.

We arrived at Mark and Theressa's Wednesday night and had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Liz's brother and his family and her father were over. We ate (too much) and laughed (never enough) all day. What a wonderful time.

Friday we went to Liz's Friend's house for a quick lunch and then headed over to my parents. We had a wonderful meal (mom you need to send me the recipe for the chicken). Then 13 of us played Bunko (actually 12 - mom was the referee/coach). We had so much fun. Dad was a hoot and I loved seeing him have such a great time with his grandkids. What a GREAT evening. I wish I could have seen more of them but this trip wouldn't allow for it.

We left Theressa's Sunday morning and had a beautiful trip back home. I am thankful for my family, my children, my wife, my parents, my brother and sister and their families, and Liz's family.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month -better late than never

I have NEVER talked about a patient of mine on this blog but after my last patient I am moved to do so.

I met this nice 44 y/o lady a couple of days ago. She was in for a scan to monitor her chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. She is very upbeat considering her story. She was diagnosed earlier this year. She started treatment in March. Since March she has had two pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs-AKA: PE). PE's come from clot fragments that usually form in the legs and/or pelvis. Part of the clot breaks off and travels up into the lungs where it/they get trapped in the small vessels. They can be life threatening depending on how much lung is affected. PE's are not uncommon during the treatment of cancer. After her first PE the doctors decided to place a filter in her that should prevent any other clots from passing up into her lungs. Well it didn't. She was hospitalized again to tree the PE. But her story doesn't end there.

When I went to the waiting area this morning to get her, she had a young girl with her that had a baby. I asked the patient if the women that was with her was her daughter.

"Yes, and that is my 1 month old granddaughter that is with her"

I told her that it was nice of her daughter to come with her to the appointment.

"Well she was diagnosed two months ago with breast cancer too"

WHAT?!?! This 22y/o girl that had a baby one month ago has breast cancer?!? I was speechless. How tragic. What an ordeal that these two women have to endure.

I have been blessed that I have not been personally impacted from the ravages of this disease. I hope and pray that I will never have to.

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But, just because the month is over doesn't mean that the threat is. Most doctors suggest that women 40 y/o and older should have annual mammograms. If you haven't had yours, get it scheduled today. There is a plethora of information out there. Get informed today!!

A Joke to Help You Smile

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident, Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt.

After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, "Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left but fortunately we are not hurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be really good friends."

The man thinking their might be a bright side to this, replied, "I agree with you completely."

The woman continued, "And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely we must drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune."

Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man shakes his head in agreement, opens it and takes a few very large swigs from the bottle and then hands it back to the woman.

The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man asks, "Aren't you having any?"

The woman replies, "No. I think I'll just wait for the police."

A New Friend

I would like to take a sec and recognize a new reader. Welcome Beck. Beck has a Blog over at "Frog and Toad are Still Friends". She writes about her family, posts some wonderful recipes, and shares some heart warming stories. Stop by her blog and say "howdy!"

A Cheerful receiver

Have you ever wondered why God created you? Why did He take the time out of His busy schedule to create you? I've often pondered this. Knowing ahead of time that I would make so many bad choices in my life, why did He mold me?

Many of you may know that I carve decoys. As an artist/carver I would NEVER waste my time on a piece of work that I knew ahead of time was going to be flawed. Why would I set out on a carving that I knew was going to sink? It would be pointless. But God knows all of our flaws and failures before He creates us and yet He still creates us. Again, I ask why?

I think I know the answer. Let me start by saying that I do not have a degree in Theology. What I say here is straight from the heart. I think the answer to the previous questions boils down to one word. LOVE. That's it. I think that God IS so much LOVE that He has to have something to love. His nature is so loving that there has to be something that can be the beneficiary of His Love. That's it. He made you and me because He wants to love us. "Warts and all" as my mother would say. Even through all of the flaws and imperfections that we have (and they are all of our doing, by the way) He still loves us. Isn't that awesome?

If you have any "Bible Background", I'm sure that you know the verse "God loves a cheerful giver."2 Corinthians 9:7
While the context of this verse is in relationship to our giving to the church , many have applied it to giving in general, giving a birthday or Christmas gift. I have always thought that there is another part to the concept of being a "cheerful giver", a "cheerful receiver". You see, without a "cheerful receiver" a gift can't be given. If you do not receive a gift cheerfully, you are denying a person the ability to be a cheerful giver. So next time you feel unworthy of God's love remember that He created you so that He could love you. If He didn't want to love you, you wouldn't be here in the first place.

So no more laying a round in self worthlessness for me. He made me warts and all and He loves me warts and all. So know matter how short I fall from all of the other plans that God has for my life I commit myself to being a "cheerful receiver"!!

I Like Rainy Days

Why is it that it takes rain for me to appreciate the sun? Why is it that I have to be driven to my knees instead of joyfully falling to them? What is it in my makeup that needs me to be hit with a 2x4 across my forehead before I get it?

I see The Son on the darkest of days. I wish that I wasn't this way. I wish that I could praise God more when my life is "together", when things seem to be going well.

Mercy Me has a song out "Bring the Rain". The chorus sums up how I feel-

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I draw closer to God in these times. I know that God is working in me. I know that all things work for good for those who love Him. I pray that I will be a good witness in the storms that I am taken through. I pray that Grace and Joy will be seen by others as the rains shower my head.

I pray for joy. I pray for peace. But if it praises you and draws me closer then BRING the RAIN.

Strange Thoughts from a Strange Man

Look at the picture and then read my thoughts and tell me who you think needs to increase their meds.

Ever wonder about those people who spend $4.00 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE

Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?

If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea...does that mean that one enjoys it?

There are three religious truths:
a. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
b. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian faith.
c. Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters.

If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racecar is not called a racist?

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me ....they're cramming for their final exam.

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? toothpicks?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

My First Gig

Well I covered my first shoot yesterday afternoon. It was a first round game of the Sectional Playoffs for boys soccer. What a great experience. I left work and traveled about 40 min to an area of that I had never visited before. I passed a couple of BEAUTIFUL waterfalls. I wanted to stop and shoot them but being my first trip to this school I wanted to make sure that I got there on time. I will definitely go back and shoot these falls. The trees are in peak Autumn foliage and I was in awe of the beauty of the scenery that God blessed me with.

I finally arrived. However I was about five minutes late so I missed opening kickoff. The action of the game was great, a bit lop sided though. This made for easy shooting. I shot close to 400 frames. I was told by some big time pros (Sports Illustrated) that I communicate with via email to make sure that I "take too many" shots. You can't go back and capture a shot that you missed but you can delete the shots that you don't want.

After the game I went back to the office to upload some images. I let the veterans show me what was expected and they were impressed with my shots. We went through my data card and eliminated the obvious (Out of focus, redundant, ball not in shot, etc) bad shots. This left me with about 200 shots to post. I was a bit surprised at the "kill rate" but they insisted that that wasn't a bad rate. What do I know I'm the rookie.

After all the shots are loaded they are submitted to the editor. He chooses the "lead shot". The lead shot is the shot that they post on the main page with the story or caption. I was not happy with the shot that the editor chose as my lead shot. But again what do I know? I'm the rookie.It definitely isn't one of the better pictures of the bunch in my opinion. All the other shots are then loaded into the gallery for moms,dads,grandmothers, or girlfriends to order. I'm not too happy with how they post those either (Am I starting to whine?). They don't edit them at all.No cropping. No brightness/contrast adjustments. Nothing. That is only done when an order is places. So if mom wants a shot of little Johnie, the picture is cropped in on little Johnie after the order is placed. One of the photogs (that's photographerese for photographer) works on the production team and does edit his photos. So his shots are tightly cropped.He however doesn't have a family to tend to and so he can stay up until 3AM editing 300 shots.( I am definitely whining now)

Anyway, I had a great time shooting, a wonderful time driving through the beautiful Adirondacks, and an educating time seeing the behind the scenes of production. I have already been assigned to the semifinal tomorrow night. I am also covering Kristian's 1st round playoff game on Saturday.

If you are interested in viewing my shots go to NorthCountrySports.net

Here is an unrelated photo to share with you...

Is Anybody Out There?!?

My past several post have gotten little or no comments. While I don't post to get the comments, they are nice to get as a barometer of how the readers feel about what I am writing or do I have any readers at all. Please, if you read my Blog take a second to say "Hi!".

I'm a Pro!!!!

Well kinda. I'll explain. A couple of weeks ago Kristian came to me and said "Dad, you need to submit your sports photos to North Country Sports (a local sports newsgroup). Your pictures are so much better then theirs." I replied "oh yeah? What do you want?" Then this past weekend I was shooting Kristian's game and Liz made the comment that I should send them some of my work. Well, I did. I got a portfolio together and sent it to the owner on Monday. He called me at home last night and was impressed with my work and offered me a staff position. I get to work the games that fit my schedule and I can refuse any assignments if it conflicts the rest of my life. I have my first assignment today. I am covering a soccer playoff game. I'm so excited!!!

I Sure am Proud

I am proud of all of my children but I want to highlight Kristian briefly. Kristian is a Senior this year and has decided to try a couple of things that he has never done before.

I have NEVER thought of Kristian as a very artistically gifted person. However, He decided this year to give art a try. He is interested in marketing and felt that having some art background would help. WoW!! The boy can draw. He is amazing. He has already won a contest.

The second thing that Kristian did to surprise us was try out for the football team. Kristian is an athletic kid but he has never played football at ANY level before. He made the team and, while he doesn't see much game time, he has impressed the coaches and they all (Kristian included) wish that he would have played before because he would have been amazing. He got in during a close game against a rival school the other night and had a sack (for 15yrds) and a couple tackle assists.

It isn't the success that has made me proud but the fact that Kristian stepped out. He stepped out of his comfort zone and tried something new. Way to go Buddy!!!!

Loss of a GREAT Friend

I lost a GREAT friend Saturday night. My 13 y/o chocolate lab, Cocoa. We rescued him from the pound 10 years ago when we moved here. This is the first time that I have been able to write about this loss without crying. He was a very friendly dog. He never met a petting hand that he didn't like. He would beat you to death with his tail though. Cocoa had epilepsy and was unable to hunt with me. Oh what a great duck blind buddy he would have been. He slipped away quietly, Liz on one side of him, me on the other, with our arms draped over his body as he let go.
Cocoa will be missed as much as he was loved...dearly.

M R Ducks

Duck season opened last weekend here in Northern NY. I went out over the weekend and had a wonderful time. Bird hunting for me is as much about the time spent jawin' with friends as it is about bangin' birds.

You can't carry on in a tree stand like you can in a duck blind. We told jokes. laughed about missed shots. Busted on each others bad duck calling. But there are serious times in the blind as well. Several times I found myself in awe of the beauty that was being created by the brush in The Masters hand. The sun played off of the Autumn leaves in such magnificent color. I watched as a pair of ringneck ducks shot over the tree tops and checked out out blind. Their blue bills were visible from a hundred yards. We watched in amazement as a flock of 50-75 Canada geese dropped in from the stratosphere and landed right in the middle of my handcarved decoys. I am thankful that it was not goose season because we took the time to watch rather than shoot.

As the sun continued to drop behind the trees, the swamp seemed to spring to life. Giant blue herons circled overhead looking for a place to rest. A small green heron passed by gathered up a couple of his friends and slowly circled back by. Teal screamed by like fighter jets on a mission.

You can't beat a day in the marsh. An evening of fun and a life time of memories.

Mom and Dad are Gone

What a wonderful weekend we had with Mom and Dad. It was a short visit but very nice. They were able to see the boys play their game (both boys did a GREAT job!). After Kristian's game went to see Devon's charcoal drawing. He was VERY happy to have his Meme and Pop here to see his work.
Mackenzie and Devon went to Homecoming Saturday night. Kristian wanted to spend time with his Grandparents. They looked so good. Mackenzie is so beautiful and Devon is such a handsome young man. I was glad that Meme and Pop got to see them dressed up. Devon especially because he doesn't get too dressed up too often.
I really love having them visit and I miss them so much already.

Mom and Dad are here

Mom and Dad arrived yesterday afternoon. We are so excited to have them here. They are here for only a couple of days. They came up so they could see Kristian and Peyton in one of their football games. They also came up because Devon has some artwork on exhibit at a local gallery. Not to mention they wanted to see Mackenzie and Maddie. We don't get to see them very often. I wish that was not the case. But it definitely keeps me from taking them for granted. Mom and Dad are very special to us. We miss them dearly when we are not together.

Decatur

Meet Decatur. He is Kristian's Lab puppy. Kristian wanted a dog a year ago for his 16th birthday. The problem was and still is that we have 3 other dogs. This year, because our oldest dog was showing signs of "departure", we agreed to get him his dog.

Decatur is named for the town that my mother grew up in and my Grandmother still lives in, Decatur Alabama. Kristian thought that the name was cool and had some relevance.

Kristian is IN LOVE with his dog. I NEVER thought that I would see Kristian fall for anything so hard, let alone a dog. Decatur has brought our a trait in Kristian's personality that has remained hidden until now. Kristian will occasionally tell us that he loves us but showing it is another matter. Kristian LOVES Decatur. You can see it in how they interact. You can hear it in how he talks to him.

It is so amazing to SEE love from my 17 y/o tough guy.

Assurance in Your Salvation

Have you ever wondered, "Am I really saved?" I'm sure you are like most Christians and have been "led into the wilderness to be tempted." Why do we have these thoughts? Where do they come from? Well, recently I have battled with all of those questions. I was led to John MacArthurs' site "Grace to You". What a wonderful site. If you have questioned your salvation, please take a few minutes to read John's message on Reasons People Lack Assurance.

I leave you with another of my Photographs

It's been too long

Way to long!!! It has been over 9 months since my last blog. I guess I haven't felt like I had anything important to say. I was reading my sisters blog today and I got the bug to write again. I am not nearly as talented a writer as she is but I feel that I have "something" to offer,even if it is just a picture that I have captured or a quick note about my family.

I have been very busy. So much has happened since my last post. We have had success and failures, we have had smiles and tears. We have endured so much this past year but God has gotten us through thus far.

My photography has taken off. I have been shooting everything I can. I have created an online album to share my photos with you. I also was recently honored to have a photograph nominated for the International Society of Photographers 2008 Hall of Fame. It will be exhibited at the annual convention in Las Vegas.

I am still carving decoys but have slowed down a great deal. Carving is one of those things that you really have to set aside a large chunk of time for and lately I haven't had any. I guess I could do a little here and a little there but then it becomes a chore and the enjoyment is lost. I am currently working on two decoys and would like to have them finished in the next month or so. They are a bit more involved than anything I have done before so I am taking my time with them.

Mackenzie and Kristian are Seniors this year. They are both excited and a bit apprehensive about graduating and heading off to college. They will do fine.

Devon shot a video in Toronto while back. You can find it on YouTube ( Truth N Rhymes). He has been writing and recording his own music for a while now and has become very good mixing and "producing" the music.

Maddie and Peyton are doing well. Not much going on with them (I hope that they don't just seem like a footnote)

I'll leave you with one of my latest photos