Hello,one and all. Welcome to a experiment in human behavior. I am wondering if I can actually practice the discipline that it is going to take to do this.
First let me introduce you to the symbol for the year. the picture of the door on the right is the door that leads to the bedroom where our two wonderful boys spent the first years of their lives. One of them is a rather clever cartoonist. One day he got hold of a felt pen and let his imagination run roughshod over about 15% of the door. (The lower portion--he was about 8 or so.) I liked it, and decided that we needed a little creativity in our lives. That was a daring decision. I never regretted it. I want that kind of thinking to rule over this production.
I have to say that I have been walking the face of the earth for a little more than seven decades. Along the way I have had some thoughts about some subjects. I have also had some ideas. If you can tell me the difference between the two, I'm ready to listen. Anyway, two nights ago I was lying in my bed suffering from the pain that an attack of gout inevitably brings on. As I lay there, I was occupied by a brain that would not stay quiet. I had this inspiration to note a specific thought that caught my fancy for every single day of one year. The longer I lay there languishing in the no-man's-land between sleep and fiery pain, the stronger the conviction came to do this.
Well, it didn't take long before I got into an argument with myself. It was about the very important element of when the year would start. I knew that I couldn't wait too long because then it would be a leap year. My brain was having nothing of that. 365 is enough, I can't and won't do 366. So the neutral part of me said, OK, December 1, 2010. But then I got excited and things started to happen and it was decided that we would start immediately...today, November 25, 2010.
So here are some of the reasons why today won:
1. 50 years ago today my younger brother Denis was married. Sadly, I can't be by his side, physically, so I will piggy-back on his marvelous tenacity and in that spirit, I begin this today.
2. If it's worth doing, do it.
3. I've already got two thoughts, why waste 'em?
4. I've got the symbol / logo for the year. What's to wait for?
So away we go. I have explained the logo above, so here's the first thought I had for the year.
See that lady on the right? That's Isabel cooking the Thanksgiving turkey. Laptop and all! All I could think of when I saw this scene was how it was done when I was a boy. I saw it done a couple of ways. My maternal grandmother had a coal fired oven. That didn't prevent her from cooking some bodacious excellent meats...it didn't matter to her, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, meat loaf and even bread. So what's with the laptop, Mom? My father was a more intellectual type, and we had an electric stove. He still used to succeed marvelously well without a computer when it came to baking, and he never once took out his slide rule to get help in the process.
My thought about this is that some things that we call the fruits of progress, really deserve the title because the results that they bring about are in fact better. Some things though are only "progress" because they make the job of obtaining results easier, quicker and less strenuous. In so many cases they do not make the end product any better. Some things though are true progress in my book. Take that laptop, for instance. Now that's progress. There is a universal library in that little black box. And it doesn't cost a thing. So, as my brother-in-law Jack responded upon hearing the story of the turkey being "Googled", as my sister Emelie remarked, made the insightful comment, "Well, that's one turkey who won't "gooble any more."
Now there's a thought! Why didn't I think of that?
It looks more like Belle is playing a turkey video game than cooking a turkey! She needs to share her recipe!
ReplyDeleteYou will see it now in the comments section. I have just given it permission to be published. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOn Sat, Nov 27, 2010 at 6:55 AM, Anna May Dion wrote:
Hi Paul,
I sent my "blog" of thoughts, etc. thinking it was going to go onto the blog itself (I never did this before). If I goofed up somehow, let me know how I can correct it.
Many thanks for your beautiful anniversary message, card and gift. We are deeply moved by all of it. Thank you.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I wish you a blessed Advent as you prepare for Christ's coming once again.
Love to Belle, Marc and Jo-El.
God bless,
Anna May
OK. So, here I sit, two days following our beautiful 50th wedding anniversary celebration, and a million or so thoughts are running through my head, and they are coupled by the same number of feelings running through my heart! So many acknowledgements. . .so much support. . .and an overwhelming overdose of love have filled me to the brim. I fear that it may be impossible to contain so much without bursting! Gratitude has managed to wedge its way into the host of feelings as well, but how do I begin to express it? I am limited to "words," and they cannot convey accurately enough what I am feeling! What am I grateful for? To begin with, I am grateful to God for bringing Denis and me together 50 years ago and for His faithfulness and providential care throughout those 50 years. We never would have made it, had He not been leading the way. . .and more often than not. . .carrying us along the way! He blessed me with a faith-filled, faithful and loving husband who has loved me (more often than not, despite myself) and who has supported me in ALL of my endeavors throughout those 50 years; a husband who always has cooperated with God's plan in all facets of our marriage, the most important of which I consider to be spiritual growth. Our marriage resulted in our merging into two extended families -- the Dions and the Fourniers. I have many wonderful memories of events and love shared with both families. Gratitude must be extended to each one for the creation of those memories and for their continued love and support over the years. How could we ever have survived without them?!? Within the first seven years of our marriage, we became parents to five wonderful children -- Wayne, Edward, Christopher, Lisa and Laurie. Our life became busy and challenging as toddlers became adolescents, teenagers and adults, each with their own unique talents, gifts and challenges. The road wasn't always neatly paved and smooth, but the bumps along the way kept us focused on God, and somehow His love, and our love for each other, managed to smooth out the bumps and to deepen our family love and commitment to each other. Four of these five children produced for us ten super grandchildren. How does one describe the special love that exists between a grandchild and a grandparent? Again, words do not suffice! Grandchildren are among God's greatest gifts! Denis and I have several names to which we answer now: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Mémère, Poppy, Grandmama, Grandpapa, Bomma, Bompa, Gram, Gramps, Mops, Pops. Each name has its own special sound and meaning. . .each one adding to the love we feel in our hearts. How do we express proper gratitude for the love of children and grandchildren? Our life (and our special anniversary) has been, and continues to be, profoundly blessed by their presence, love and support. They and God are the nourishment that sustains us every day! So, as I continue my journey in this vocation called marriage, although I do not know what the future has in store, I remain confident in the love and support that Denis and I will continue to receive from God and all of the wonderful family and extended family members He has placed in our life. And, I remain humbly grateful to each and every one.
ReplyDeleteAnna May
HI, my name is Raymond Langdon. My brother Fern gave me your blog because he thought I may be interested. I am please he did. He thought you may be a knight of columbus as I am. A 4th degree knight.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate it here, as I assume you know, a few weeks ahead here. Well,I got to go... Ray.