Betty and I are taking it easy today – neither of us feel that good – not sick – just off.
So, I will share some pictures I ran across while we were in Fort Collins.
Get your cute meter out and crank it up.
First, a black fawn and this is for real. 
Second, the odd couple. 
Have a good day.
This may be the grossest video I have shared, but not in the way you may think. At that it’s still an amazing piece of computer graphics – at least I assume it’s computer graphics. And it’s a commercial.
Don’t watch right after eating.
Enjoy?
But now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,…’ (1 Samuel 2:30)
Honoring God. Do I honor God? How do I honor (or dishonor) God?
Well, let’s take the easy way out and look up the definition of honor:
Synonyms: integrity, decency, righteousness, principle, uprightness, scrupulousness, rectitude,morality, character
From the above it appears that God has inherent honor because of his integrity, decency, righteousness, morality, and his dignity – all which make up His character.
My part of honor comes when I show him great respect and admiration – through my thoughts, words, attitudes, and behaviors.
Thoughts help form our words. Our thoughts and words help form our attitude. Our thoughts, words and attitude help form our behaviors. Our thoughts, words, attitude, and behaviors make up how we are living our lives.
Do my thoughts honor God? Will my words honor God? Is my attitude toward something or someone honorable to God? Will my actions honor God? Will all this show God great respect and admiration?
Those questions are like rulers that we can use to measure how we’re living our lives. It probably would be a good idea for me to use them more often.
What do you think?
I know you’re probably sick of our proud grandparent posts, but we have one more. This time it’s not about the new one – Leah – but about our Juliet.
Here she’s playing with her Nana and a ball.
We’re leaving on Sunday to head back home after being gone for two weeks. We have to get back to our horses and to my jury duty.
I probably won’t have a post tomorrow, Saturday, but I hope to have a Sunday Reflection done before we leave.
A fair amount of inventions were serendipitous – came about because of chance. Here are the top six examples of how oops became famous.
1. The Microwave - Percy L. Spencer
Percy Spencer, an engineer at Raytheon after his WWI stint in the Navy, was known as an electronics genius. In 1945, Spencer was fiddling with a microwave-emitting magnetron—used in the guts of radar arrays—when he felt a strange sensation in his pants. A sizzling, even. Spencer paused and found that a chocolate bar in his pocket had started to melt. Figuring that the microwave radiation of the magnetron was to blame (or to credit, as it would turn out), Spencer immediately set out to realize the culinary potential at work. The end result was the microwave oven—savior of eager snackers and single dudes worldwide.
2. Saccharin - Ira Remsen, Constantin Fahlberg
In 1879, Ira Remsen and Constantin Fahlberg, at work in a laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, paused to eat. Fahlberg had neglected to wash his hands before the meal—which usually leads to a quick death for most chemists, but led to him noticing an oddly sweet flavor during his meal. Artificial sweetener! The duo published their findings together, but it was only Fahlberg's name that made it onto the (incredibly lucrative) patent, now found in pink packets at tables everywhere. That is to say, Remsen got screwed—he later remarked, "Fahlberg is a scoundrel. It nauseates me to hear my name mentioned in the same breath with him."
3. Slinky - Richard James
In 1943, Navy engineer Richard James was trying to figure out how to use springs to keep the sensitive instruments aboard ships from rocking themselves to death, when he knocked one of his prototypes over. Instead of crashing to the floor, it gracefully sprang downward, and then righted itself. So pointless—so nimble—so slinky. The spring became a goofy toy of many childhoods—that is before every kid inevitably gets theirs all twisted up and ruins it. 300 million sold worldwide!
4. Play-Doh - Kutol Products
Before being found ground into the rugs of child-rearing homes everywhere, Play-Doh was ironically created to be a cleaning product. The paste was first marketed as a treatment for filthy wallpaper—before the company that produced it began to go down the tubes. The discovery that saved Kutol Products—headed for bankruptcy—wasn't that their wall cleaner worked particularly well, but that schoolchildren were beginning to use it to create Christmas ornaments as arts and crafts projects. By removing the compound's cleanser and adding colors and a fresh scent, Kutol spun their wallpaper saver into one of the most iconic toys of all time—and brought mega-success to a company headed for destruction. Sometimes, you don't even know how brilliant you are until someone notices for you.
5. Super Glue - Harry Coover
In what have been a very messy moment of discovery in 1942, Dr. Harry Coover of Eastman-Kodak Laboratories found that a substance he created—cyanoacrylate—was a miserable failure. It was not, to his dismay, at all suited for a new precision gun sight as he had hoped—it infuriatingly stuck to everything it touched. So it was forgotten. Six years later, while overseeing an experimental new design for airplane canopies, Coover found himself stuck in the same gooey mess with a familiar foe—cyanacrylate was proving useless as ever. But this time, Coover observed that the stuff formed an incredibly strong bond without needing heat. Coover and his team tinkered with sticking various objects in their lab together, and realized they had finally stumbled upon a use for the maddening goop. Coover slapped a patent on his discovery, and in 1958, a full 16 years after he first got stuck, cyanoacrylate was being sold on shelves.
6. Velcro - George de Mestral
A dog invented Velcro.
Alright, that's something of an exaggeration, but a dog did play an instrumental role. Swiss engineer George de Mestral was out for a hunting trip with his pooch, and noticed the annoying tendency of burrs to stick to its fur (and his socks). Later, looking under a microscope, Mestral observed the tiny "hooks" that stuck burrs to fabrics and furs. Mestral experimented for years with a variety of textiles before arriving at the newly invented nylon—though it wasn't until two decades later that NASA's fondness for velcro popularized the tech.
Yesterday, Sunday, August 22, Wade Daniel, Marie, and Juliet were able to bring Leah home to begin her new life.
Enjoy.
Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. (Proverbs 17:6)
Well, Betty and I are “the aged.” Medicare confirms that.
So, the children of our children are our “crowns” according to the verse from Proverbs. Javier, Juliet and now, Leah, are definitely our crowns and we wear them proudly.
We’re also proud to say that Wade Daniel and Marie, and Chris and Tracy, are the pride of their children. They are good husbands and wives and fathers and mothers. We have learned much from them.
Excuse me while I go look in the mirror to see how my crowns look.
We took Juliet back over to the hospital this morning so she could see her Mom and so we could see Leah Marie. Everyone is still doing well and they expect to come home some time tomorrow.
Here are some pictures and a short video from our visit this morning.
And here’s that short video showing a very happy and contented Nana with Leah Marie.
Leah Marie Cooksey was born Friday, August 20, 2010 at 4:47 PM Mountain Daylight Time (a very respectable hour). She weighed in at 5 lbs and 7 oz. and was 18 1/2 inches in length. Mother and daughter are doing very well.
Juliet and Leah meeting each other for the first time.
The proud father and Papa.
The very proud and happy Nana.
The first family portrait.
A quick video.
And one last look at the little girl of the hour.
A good day.
Wade Daniel and Marie go into the hospital at 7:30 PM tonight to start the inducement process. The baby most likely will be born some time on Friday.
Betty and I will take over the watch for Juliet and Kona, their dog. It should be an interesting time as Juliet is still too young to understand what’s going on. I don’t know what she will do when Mom and Dad leave tonight before she goes to bed. Or, when she wakes up in the morning we’re there instead of Mom and Dad. Oh well, we survived our kids so I guess we can handle this for a few days.
A little bit of good news. I got it worked out with the jury folks so I don’t have to come home early. We most likely will come home on Sunday, August 29.
Life is an adventure!
Today is my Birthday and I’m now 65 and a proud member of the Medicare generation – less coverage at more cost!
Seriously, we made it safely to Fort Collins and the greatest gift you can get is to be with family and especially a granddaughter.
Enjoy.
We left early this morning to drive to Fort Collins, Colorado to help out with our kids and grandkids.
Our son, Wade Daniel, has cataract surgery on Monday – takes after his Dad. He had one eye done in July. I’ll probably take him to his surgery while Betty stays with Marie, Juliet and Chica.
Marie is on bed rest now until Thursday when she will be induced and Chica will come into the world. Please pray for God’s grace for both of them and safe travel for us.
If I don’t get a postponement for my jury duty, I’ll drive back on Monday, August 23 to I can report on Tuesday. Don’t want to get The Man upset.
Betty will stay to help as long as she’s needed and fly back at some point.
Life is an adventure!
My sense of humor can sometimes be a little weird.
Enjoy.
We got a call from our son last night and the doctor has decided to induce Marie next Thursday, August 19. There is no problem with the baby, just a decision to ensure a safe delivery. That’s only a week and a half earlier than the due date.
After talking with them, we agreed that we would drive up to Fort Collins, Colorado this coming Sunday so we can be there to help.
So today and tomorrow, we’re scrambling to get things ready to leave, canceling appointments, buying more feed for the horses, etc.
The only complication is I still haven’t received a postponement for my jury duty and I’m supposed to report on Tuesday, August 24. Worse case, I’ll drive back on Monday, August 23 and Betty will fly home some time later.
Shortly we’ll know our new granddaughter’s name and we can stop calling her “Chica.”
The “LL” in the title stands for Little League. ESPN has started televising the regional playoffs in the Little League championships. The regional winners will go to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series.
I love watching the kids play on TV each year because Little League was so important to me.
I played Little League baseball at Wahoma Park in Birmingham, Alabama from 1953 to 1957. This was back in the day when our uniforms, like the professionals, were all wool – both pants and shirt. When you first put it on it was hot and scratchy, but after you sweated in it for a little bit, it was extremely cool and comfortable.
I mostly played center field, but sometimes first base – they assumed if you were left handed you would make a good first baseman. Rarely I pitched, but I sucked as a pitcher. I once gave up four home runs to the same batter in one game. Not my finest moment.
I was a pretty good outfielder and that’s what I liked best. One memory is catching a hard hit fly ball and running into a fence pole just as I caught it. It knocked me out, but I held onto the ball.
My Little League highlight was my last year as a 12 year old. I made the All Star team and we got to the Regional Championship (regional within the state playoffs). We were facing a team with a big kid for their pitcher and he could throw the ball with a lot of heat on it.
We got to the bottom of the 6th inning, the last inning in Little League baseball. We were tied 1 – 1. There was one person on base when I came to bat and there were two outs.
I got down two strikes. I vividly remember the brother of one of my team mates telling me to relax. I took a deep breath and, on the next pitch, hit a home run over the right field fence. I was in a daze running around the bases as I had only hit one other home run in my whole career.
For a moment I was a hero and every boy dreams of that opportunity to do something special.
What made it even more fun was it was my father’s birthday. When I left to go start the game, I popped him on the head with my glove and said, “I’ll hit you a home run for your birthday.”
So, watching these kids play (and they’re ten times better than we were) brings back some nice memories.
PS: We lost in the State playoffs. And the picture above came off the Internet, but that’s pretty much what we looked like.
Betty and I took a horseback ride yesterday to one of our favorite local places. It’s just South of us. There’s a large open area of sage and then a large arroyo.
We rode over to the edge of the arroyo and then rode West along the edge. It’s an up and down little trail and we even picked a few places where we could ride the horses down a slight incline and then back up to give them some work for the muscles in their hind legs and haunches.
It was a good day. It was warm, but there was a nice breeze most of the ride that was still pleasantly cool so it was about as good as you’re going to get for mid-August.
Morgunn was his usual solid self. His only vice is the boy loves to eat so he’s not above trying to sneak a snack while he’s walking. He doesn’t stop and he doesn’t drop his head far, but he’ll still try. Betty does a good job of watching and she catches him far more often than he gets away with it.
Sugar was as good as she’s been since we’ve had her. We were in harmony almost the whole ride.
It makes me realize how important it is for both of us to be in balance with each other. I’m not talking just about physical balance even though that’s important. I’m talking about balance of my mind and emotions so I’m calm and assertive (as the dog whisperer, Cesar Millan, would say).
Horses are no different from us. They can have good days when they’re in balance and bad days when something seems off in their mind or emotions.
When we’re both in balance there’s a harmony in our riding together that’s just great. We seem anticipate each other. I can think about turning and Sugar begins to turn before I make a move. I start to ask her to stop and she’s stopped. We’re both relaxed. It’s wonderful when that happens.
If one of us is out of balance it’s not as good. I wind up having to use more force in my body and through the reins to get Sugar to do what I want. Sometimes it’s me out of balance and sometimes it’s Sugar.
There have been a rare (fortunately) few times when we’ve both been out of balance and it’s not pretty. I’m learning that when that happens it’s up to me to do something about it. Either I get myself back into balance or I cut the ride short. It’s not safe and it’s not fair to Sugar to continue when both of us are not hitting on all cylinders.
I guess life’s like that too in our relationships. When Betty and I are both in balance in our minds and emotions there’s a real harmony between us. When there’s not, it’s not as good a ride.
Fortunately, Monday was one of those great days when Sugar and I were in balance together and, like beautiful music, there was a sweet harmony in our ride.
Everyone at one time in their lives probably thinks about downsizing at one time or the other.
Jay Shafer builds and lives in tiny houses. His home has every amenity you could need. He has a dining area, kitchen, fireplace, bathroom and plenty of storage space. But it all fits neatly into 100 square feet. No. That isn't a typo. His entire house is smaller than some walk-in closets. And he really does live there.
And it’s on wheels too!
Having been born in 1945 Betty and I had the joy of watching TV in black and white for a lot of years. We got our first TV in 1951 when I was six. The Howdy Doody Club, Ed Sullivan, Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, etc. were the staples in our home. We also watched a lot of test patterns while they played the National Anthem.
And, of course the commercials were in black and white as well – an early Mr.. Clean commercial:
Mr.. Clean could do it all – clean anything at any time – at least stuff in the house.
However, he can’t match the original Mr.. Clean who said:
If you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
The 1950’s Mr.. Clean might be able to make our house sparkling clean, but he can’t touch the stains in our hearts and minds.
When I became a Christian in 1984 at age 39, one of the joys was realizing the burden of my sins, my mistakes had been lifted. I didn’t realize I was carrying that burden all my life.
Equally important was I felt clean for the first time in my life. I didn’t know about 1 John 1:9 in those days, but I experienced its truth in my life.
Since then we have used this verse hundreds of times in our pastoral counseling with people over the past 26 years. We have seen God lift burdens and cleanse hearts and minds so that people could live a new life.
Not bad. I wonder if God is bald too?
Yesterday, Friday, was a beautiful morning. It was pleasantly cool with a little breeze – a perfect morning for a horse back ride.
We rode down to the irrigation ditch closest to our house – we call it the North Ditch because if you follow it all the way North it will lead you to the Rio Grande where the irrigation ditch starts. We didn’t ride that far, but we had a great time and both horses did well.
Here’s a short video and we hope you enjoy it.
There have been a lot of descriptions of what heaven will be like, but this one is about as good as most I have heard.
Enjoy.
Many of you know that I have osteoporosis and it’s probably genetic. My father and mother both had it and my older sister has it as well. It was diagnosed 10 years ago when I was 55.
Since then I’ve been on several medicines – first, Miacalcin – a medicine made from salmon eggs. Then Forteo – a subcutaneous injection medicine that actually help my bone grow back – but it’s only a two year program.
Since then I’ve been on Actonel – first weekly and, over the past year, monthly.
I recently had a bone density exam and everything looked good except my left hip which had actually lost bone density. The doctor believes that the problem is that oral medicines like Actonel may not be totally absorbed into the body.
He recommended that I get an IV infusion called Reclast as all of that medicine would be absorbed into the body. Because it’s a slow acting medicine, you only have to do the IV infusion once a year.
So, Betty and I trucked down to the Presbyterian Medical Building for my first Reclast infusion.
After a consult with a doctor with a great sense of humor to be sure I qualified for the procedure and to make sure Medicare will pay for it, they put me into a chair and poked a needle into a vein in my left arm. The nurse, Kelly, was nice about it and had lots of funny lines.
First, they gave me an infusion of saline so that my body would be hydrated which would help protect my kidneys. That took about 20 minutes or so.
Then they gave me the Reclast medicine through the IV and that took about 45 minutes or so.
Finally, they gave me another infusion of saline so that I would continue to be hydrated as my body absorbed the Reclast medicine.
The possible side effects that might show up in a day or two are nausea, a flu-like illness, headaches, and body pain. So far, nothing has showed up yet.
After the procedure Betty and I headed to Old Town Albuquerque for a lunch at the Old Hacienda Restaurant.
Hopefully, this procedure will help me to maintain my bone density and, if all goes really well, even help some bone to grow back.
Ah, the joys of growing old.
I first picked up a guitar when I was 11 years old and, off and on for the past 54 years, I have played the guitar. I never took lessons, but I had the benefit of playing with people better than me (which was easy to find) over the years so I learned a lot.
However, this little North Korean girl makes be shrink before her mastery of the guitar. And, she’s only in kindergarten!
Enjoy.
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20)
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. We know that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior that he and the Father come to live within our hearts in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We become the Temple of God.
So, it’s fair to say that God is with us at all times even when we’re alone.
However, this verse seems to indicate that when Christians come together in the name of Jesus something extra happens and I believe that.
One plus one equals more than just two.
There is a collective experience of God when Christians come together with their hearts focused on God that somehow goes beyond our individual experience of God.
I think that’s one of the reasons Jesus sent the disciples out two by two. He wanted them to have the collective experience of God with them.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons it’s not such a good idea to be a Lone Ranger Christian – we would miss out on something special of God.
