One Fine Day.....or The Game is Worth the Candle

"Maybe move out of the city, find some quiet little town

Where you can sit out on your back porch step

And watch the sun go down....

Call it chance baby, call it fate

Either one is cause to celebrate

And the question now is why would you wait

Don't be late for your life"

Mary Chapin Carpenter

 Some people dream about streets paved with gold
Only to find a yellow brick road
We know the way that story goes...Matraca Berg

 

Out here on the edge love dares us to try

 Baby, some people fall but some people fly

And baby, love has no fear leap

And a net will appear....Matraca Berg

Yeah ladies love outlaws like babies love a bunch of stray dogs

Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold....

Waylon Jennings

 You say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too--yeah

They say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you.

The Beatles

Psalm 127: 3-5

Children are a heritage from the Lord,

    offspring a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

    are children born in one’s youth.

5 Blessed is the man

    whose quiver is full of them.

Double Nickels

I have already turned 55.  Might as well own up to it.  If I don't tell you, then Blake certainly will.  It is one of the perennial jokes of our marriage that I am a good half year older than he is.  Haha.


But for the next six months, we will share that age.  From here on out, both of us will get the senior citizen discount at Pamida (perhaps Shopko will be less generous and we will regain our youth for a few more years?).  
We will march together farther along the path between getting carded for our youth and getting carded for our....well, not for our youth.


Because my husband is the love of my life and his happiness and well being is my utmost concern, I want to reassure him that its NOT TOO LATE...that double nickels is not a speed limit (except for those few miles around the Cameron McDonald's...but I digress), nor a speed bump.  There is still plenty of time for all those dreams and goals to reach fruition as he reaches his maturity.



For instance......there is still time to grow his hair like Elvis.....or a beard like Jason Motte.


There will be plenty of hours to read Shelby Foote, John Dos Passos, and those monster biographies by Ron Chernow.  


You can still learn to upload and download pictures.....and maybe construct a powerpoint.  I wouldn't make it a real high priority though.


I certainly hope you will write your very own book.  I can't wait to fix a few apostrophes.  

Finally,  there is still a chance we'll get better at golf.  I know its a slim one, but, in the immortal words of Lyle Lovett: 

 Look

 I understand too little, too late.

I realize there are things you say and do

You can never take back.

But what would you be

if you didn't even try?

And in that spirit of experimentation, of Churchillian never give upmanship, of hope over experience, I promise to join you on the golf course when you try out your brand new Cobra Amp Offset Senior Driver.

Happy Birthday, dear!!

Counting Candles

My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, he has riches untold.....



And the hymn continues, 'I'm a Child of the King, a child of the King, With Jesus my Savior, I'm a child of the King...'
or...


For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies....


How better can I describe the wonder and thankfulness I feel on the eve of another birthday. It is a good thing to give thanks, to count our blessings, to recite a litany of all we receive that we do not earn, or deserve.  "We should at all times, and in all places, give thanks."  And we shouldn't wait or delay, even if our only prayer is a heartfelt, 'Thank God.'  


I am a child of the King, but I am also rich.... not merely comfortable and safe.  I too hold the wealth of the world in my hands........whenever I lift Josh to see the cow plates on the wall or show him his toothy reflection in the mirror.  My coffers are full of untold riches when I draw chalk pictures on the front porch, play catch, sing songs and dance, or take aim at the bad guys.  My cup overfloweth.


We gather together in the October sunset.  Having an October birthday means taking the party on the road, but pares life to its most essential elements: family, fields, food, fellowship. I take advantage of my station to eat the caramel frosting off the top of Abbie's cake which she has dropped into the bean stubble.  One serving is never enough.  Josh has already eaten, but his auntie sneaks him a bite.  Start 'em young.


Next week I'll get spoiled by the East coast family; I know this from previous experience.  The Virginia countryside will display the beauty of the earth, rain or shine.  It will be a greener landscape than our dusty fields of stalks.  Their home will be mine for a couple of days.


'For the love, which from our birth':  the care and attention and unselfish love of  our parents; the joys, cares, worries, and pride of being parents; the wonder and amazement of being grandparents; the awe we feel as we realize our Heavenly Father embodies all of these and unending compassion, patience and forgiveness.  All of these are treasures of this world and the next.


'I don't feel very different these days; I know its strange.  I guess I've gotten used to these little aches and pains.'  Matraca Berg reminds me grandmas can wax poetic too.  Our house overflows.....with Legos, with books, with photos, with music, with evidence of two souls living in partnership and harmony that is close, if not always in tune.   A limp here, a snore there: badges of honor as the birthdays pile up.

Yep. Lord, all I ask for this birthday is that you continually nudge me, whisper to me, or downright yell at me when I forget to be thankful.  After all You've done for me, I must do no less.