A Healthy, Happy “Accident”

You’ve heard of the Energizer Bunny. I have an Energizer Cocker Spaniel. My dog Bitsy turned 14 today and she’s still going strong! Today we went out into the yard and she chased her tennis ball, dug for worms and barked at cows. Aside from a little arthritis, some low light vision problems and the loss of most of her hearing, she acts the same as she did when she was a pup.

Bitsy was an experiment. She was the first dog that any of my family had ever raised as a house pet. This was long before Cesar Millan (whose methods I’ve wholeheartedly adopted since then) and all the dogs we’d had growing up were outside pets who were considered more “working” dogs than pets. They kept away all the vermin and wild animals that might venture into our yard and kill chickens or damage the garden or fields. Bitsy and her litter were the result of a full-breed Cocker Spaniel wandering into our yard one day and breeding with our Chow/German Shepherd named Chief. (This was also long before it was in vogue to spay and neuter your pets.) So the Cocker we named “Lady” gave birth to a litter of several adorable mixed breed pups, of which Bitsy was the runt.

As I mentioned on her last birthday in my post “The Blessing of Bitsy,” we’ve been through a lot together in her 14 years. This year we’ve moved into a new house along with my other dog Snoopy. The three of us have been learning how to carve out a new routine in our new environment and sometimes it’s challenging. They both like to lie on the couch beside me, but since Bitsy’s the old-timer, she obviously ranks higher in the pack than Snoopy and won’t allow him up there if she’s gotten there first. She’s also very territorial about her food dish and if Snoopy ever gets the idea that he can eat her leftovers when she’s not looking, she lets him know right away that, “I might be old, but you still can’t sneak something like that by me!”

The biggest challenge for me is that Bitsy is moving more slowly and she loves to stand right beside me and follow me everywhere in the house. The problem is that sometimes she stands right underfoot. I’m having to learn patience as I walk through the house and she walks in front trying to figure out where I’m going and looking behind her all the time to make sure I’m still there. On our walks outside with Snoopy she loves to stop and smell everything and it’s frustrating for me and Snoopy because we like to walk fast. But practicing patience has been good for me and it’s teaching me valuable lessons.

Next year I hope to report on a happy, healthy 15 year old “accident” who continues to love me and teach me lessons. Her batteries are still going strong and, with God’s help and some TLC, she’ll be around for several more years, teaching me lessons and keeping Snoopy on his toes.

Just Beneath the Surface

So much has happened since my last post and I apologize for taking so much time between then and now. It’s been a busy summer, including a trip to the Philippines and Phoenix, Arizona. Both trips were with the quartet and I had an amazing time in both places.

Our trip to the Philippines was another evangelistic outreach being held by the General Conference of SDA. The same pastor who traveled with us to Jakarta invited us to the Philippines. We were so blessed to be a part of a soul-winning venture and it was great to be exposed to another culture which has a long history of involvement with the United States.

We sang each night of the meetings and then had a mini-concert on the final Sabbath we were there. We were proud to be part of the 99 baptisms taking place that day. We met some incredibly talented people who also sang for the meetings and we made many, many lifelong friends.

One of the highlights of the trip was our scuba diving trip. None of us had ever been diving before and we were excited to be invited by one of the staff who is an experienced diver. After our crash course by the dive master, we dove in and I was completely surprised at the variety and abundance of aquatic life that was just a few feet below the surface.

As I swam around, the only sound was my own breathing and it made the sights I saw so much more focused. Fish swam inches from my mask and were surprisingly curious about me. I never expected to see so many different types of fish so close to the shore. There were uncountable types of corals as well, and they were every bit as interesting as the fish.

We were given some bread to feed the fish and they eagerly gobbled up every bite. Sometimes I felt a small nibble at the end of my fingers but it was never anything serious. In fact, it was fun to see them swarming around and trying to catch all the different species there were.

When we ran out of oxygen, we surfaced and I went back to the camp while the guys continued on snorkeling. I sat on a bench, drying off in the hot sun and reflected about how much beauty is oftentimes just below the surface. I know it’s an old cliché, but the same is true about people. As I sat there, it occurred to me, not for the first time, that we should take the time to look beneath the surface when we deal with people. So many people are labeled instantly (I’m guilty of it too) and then no one really cares to get to know them, simply based on their outward appearance.

That scuba diving trip taught me two important lessons. First, try to throw away your preconceived ideas when you deal with people. Second, take time to look beneath the surface when you talk to someone. It may mean looking them directly in the eyes a bit more than is comfortable. It might mean paying attention to body language more than you normally do. It might even mean doing more listening than talking.

Analog to Digital…

The year is 1982. I’m nine years old and I’m sitting down to read the novelization of the film “E.T.” I never got to see the movie as a kid, so I was happy when I found the novel on sale at a thrift store and successfully convinced my mom to buy it for me.

There’s a part in the movie where Elliott gets sick because he shares a psychic bond with E.T. who has recently decided to drink some beer that he found in the fridge. Elliott begins to act strangely and irrationally. The book expands on this more than the film and there’s one thing in the book that really stuck with me. At one point, Elliot is babbling meaningless phrases and he blurts out, “analog to digital…” Being a big fan of technology even at nine years old, I was fascinated by that phrase.

I had a couple of digital watches which I’d taken apart and I even had a “Lil’ Whiz” calculator which was all the rage. That early digital technology fascinated me and I latched on to the phrase Elliott said and didn’t let go for a long time. When my sister and I would play “spaceship” I would write in my “log” and it would inevitably include the phrase “analog to digital” somewhere in there.

The recent FCC switch of analog broadcasts to digital on February 17th made me think of that phrase in a whole new way. Since I live out in the country, I can’t get cable TV and although I’ve used satellite before, the trees made it so hard to get a signal that I just gave up on it. My rooftop antenna has a hard time when the wind blows and the signal is often garbled and jumbled, just like Elliott when he was connected to a drunken E.T.

I do like the new channels I get with my digital converter box, and the picture is sharp and clear. But it’s very frustrating when the channel cuts in and out and the sound drops off during the most critical point of a favorite show. I have to keep a set of “rabbit ears” handy to plug into the box when the wind is playing havoc with my signal. That way I can adjust the antenna inside instead of putting on my shoes to go move the outside antenna.

I can understand the need to update technology and to free up the old analog frequencies for emergency use. But it’s hard to be happy with the way things are when your new digital signal is weaker than before and you can’t see your shows. I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t watch that much TV. It really helps me break away from the “idiot box” and go do something more constructive. I just hope that if “E.T.” comes on I’ll be able to watch it.

The Phenomenon of Facebook

For a long time I avoided Facebook and Myspace ardently because I thought that it was silly to put up details of your life for everyone to see. I also thought having a blog was stupid because who wants to read the details of your life?

I started hearing more and more about Facebook from the technology podcasts I listen to and I started to hear that lots of people had found old high school and college roommates online. So I started warming up to the idea and decided to join. Any service that has 130 million active users must be something to consider, so as I began to spend more time on Facebook, I began to see the benefits of joining such a large network. I soon found 10 people with whom I’d gone to college and many more with whom I’d gone to high school.

Now I regularly converse with people I haven’t seen in 20 years and even some that I haven’t seen since elementary school! I love being able to catch up on life news, share photos and opinions and even schedule real-life meetings on Facebook. Our academy Alumni Association is using Facebook to get people to come to the reunion this year and I think we’ll have a record amount of people show up because of it.

I was talking to a friend about the lure of social networks and the reason they suck us in so well. He said that he thinks that it’s because they’re slightly voyeuristic in nature. It’s almost like a window into your life that you allow others to look through and in turn, you look through theirs. That may be true, but I try to be very careful with the people I allow to be my friends. With only a couple of exceptions, I only befriend people whom I actually know in real life. But it’s so nice to be able to see what my friends are doing and to make comments on their photos. When we get together in real life, we’re able to feel a little closer than we would have without Facebook and we won’t have to do all the catching up.

Although I prefer Facebook, I do have a Myspace page, a blog here on Windows Live Spaces, and a Twitter account! So now I’m thoroughly immersed in the Web 2.0 social network ocean. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up, and I know that when I get a full-time job I won’t be able to spend as much time with it, but for now I’m really enjoying being able to find my friends. I’m sure they’ll be glad when I get a job so I’ll stop pestering them and commenting on everything they do!

“The Rockets’ Red Glare…”

On our last quartet tour to Maryland we had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of American History. We saw some amazing pieces of Americana there, even though the exhibits we had intended to see were under renovation.

I think my favorite exhibits were The Star-Spangled Banner and the hand-written copy of the Gettysburg Address. I honestly didn’t know that the original flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write what became our National Anthem still existed. It’s been remarkably preserved over the years and is now in a state-of-the-art enclosure behind tinted glass.

As you walk through the exhibit, you see the history of the flag from its creation to its preservation today. There were also authentic ”bombs” and ”rockets” which were used by the British to bombard enemy forts. I was once again surprised to learn that those weapons were even in existence then. I read how the bombs would actually explode in mid-air, sending shrapnel everywhere and how the British would fire genuine rockets which were about 2 feet long tipped with explosives and pieces of metal. Reading these things added new meaning to the words of the national anthem. I began to feel a deep appreciation for our forefathers and the battles they endured. And as I looked at the flag itself, I was amazed at the craftsmanship and dedication of all the people involved in its creation. As we walked through the exhibit, playing in the background were different versions of the national anthem. It was a very inspirational and uplifting exhibit.

Afterward we made our way to the exhibit of the last surviving copy of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln had been commissioned to rewrite the Address by hand to raise money for a benefit. The Address is behind glass and is very well-preserved. Ryan pointed out that Lincoln had taken great pains to right-justify the entire speech, which only takes up two pages. At the right end of the page, if a word was too long, Lincoln hyphenated it and continued it on the next line. It was very unusual for a hand-written piece. During the exhibit you can hear in the background someone reading the speech as it may have sounded in Lincoln’s voice. Surrounding the Address are many other pieces of Lincoln memorabilia and the history of the Gettysburg Address and its impact. As I looked at the paper, I was amazed to think that Abraham Lincoln actually wrote it with his own hand.

I think we Americans, in general, take our history for granted. If you get a chance to visit a history museum, I really encourage you to do it. You’ll see injustice, bravery, cowardice, heroism and everything in between. Most of all you’ll walk away with an appreciation for what we have here and an admiration for the people who have made it all possible.

2009 Is Here to Stay

I’m trying to be very optimistic about 2009. I’ve been looking for a permanent job for a long time now and it’s one of my goals for this new year to find a full-time teaching job. I enjoy being a substitute teacher, but I want to be able to have some stability and to have my own class. As a sub, you’re constantly being manipulated by students who know that you don’t know their routines and rules and they take advantage of you. I’ve learned that it’s best to set your own rules and make them abide by them, even if they gripe and complain that “Miss Jones always lets us change seats!”

Of course, there are many financial benefits to being a full-time teacher as well as the psychological ones. More pay and health benefits are always added bonuses to a satisfying job. And since I’m going to be moving into a new house, I’m going to need some extra cash pretty soon.

My new house needs some work. The first priority is to get the carpet cleaned. The former tenants weren’t particular about keeping it clean and, as a result, I’m going to have to spend some time and money on it to get it back in shape. One window needs to be replaced and the bathroom sink needs a new faucet. Everything else is in pretty good shape and will be able to be done over time after I move in. I’ll have to paint the walls and fix some of the shelves, but that won’t be too hard. I’ve already cleaned up the yard and most of the porch, so the majority of the heavy work is done. My dad helped me clean out the garage last week, so now I have a place for my vehicles.

So 2009 is starting off well. A new house, and optimistically, a new job will come soon. And there are big campmeeting travel plans with the quartet in the summer, so I’m looking forward to that. And who knows, maybe this year I’ll find that special woman I’ve been looking for all my life!

Fully Certified

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but this time of year it’s hard to find a chance to write. A lot has been happening since November.

I received my official teaching license in the mail and it’s been a great feeling to realize that I’m a fully licensed and certified teacher in the state of Tennessee. Not only does the license mean that I get more pay as a substitute, but it also means that my chances for getting a full-time teaching job have increased dramatically. Now I have to work on my denominational certification so I can teach full time in the church school system. I’ve been subbing at the OAKS school in Ooltewah and I MUCH prefer it over the public schools. There are some great public schools out there, but on the whole, I like the church schools better.

We had a great Thanksgiving with my mom’s side of the family and I got some great photos. As usual, the food was great and it works out nicely to have Thanksgiving at the ski lodge where there’s plenty of room for the smokers and kids to be outside!

At Christmas time I’m not usually the most cheerful person since the commercialism and cheapness of it all just bugs me. But this year I’m trying to focus on the birth of Christ and what it means. I’m still baffled every time I think about Divinity being placed in to Humanity’s frail form. Something I think we’ll ponder throughout eternity….

I’m looking forward to the new year and I hope I’ll find a permanent teaching job. I have high hopes. I’m also going to start moving into a new house, so I’d appreciate any prayers you can send up for me!

Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?

Last week was my first time as a sub at Collegedale Academy. I got all the paperwork signed for subbing in Adventist schools and the day I turned it in, I got a call from a teacher who needed me to sub in his Biology classes for three days.

It was a little intimidating at first, thinking about teaching Biology, Ecology and Wellness, but I took the books home and discovered that I remembered a lot of the terms and concepts from my college Biology class. As I went over the material with the students, I was amazed all over again how intricately designed the human body is. Not just the human body, but all cells of all living organisms are enormously complex. And I’m more convinced than ever that all of the universe was created and that it’s impossible for any of it to have happened by chance.

It was a great three days, teaching at a Christian school where I wasn’t afraid to pray before class or mention God’s name in a biology class. I hope I get to teach in a place like that some day.

The Blessing of Bitsy

On October 5th my dog Bitsy turned 13. We’ve been through a lot together: my parent’s divorce, moving three times, she was even in the car with me when I spun out of control on a rainy night on Highway 27. We made it through all of those things and more, and I’m happy to have had her with me.

She was the runt of about seven other dogs. She also had the most attitude. She would stand in the middle of the food dish and growl at all her brothers and sisters, eating until she fell over. She was so tiny that she was instantly called “Itsy Bitsy” and the name stuck. When I took her to Laurelbrook with me, she was the first house dog I’d ever had and I quickly learned that it’s not easy to have a puppy in the house. She destroyed my expensive Greek Bible and chewed through several leashes. She was always in the trash and loved to roll in dirty laundry. Once, she got down a pack of M&Ms and instead of eating them, she just licked the candy coating off and left the chocolate.

She started showing her age when she turned 12 and this year she started to noticeably slow down. She can’t jump on the couch anymore, so I have to help her. She’s lost most of her hearing, which makes calling her difficult. But she’s still very active and loves to chase her ball. She loves to go for walks and she still ABSOLUTELY loves to chase cows! But more and more her favorite hobby is napping, and that’s OK with me. She enjoys her senior dog food with glucosamine (for healthy joints) and the occasional treat of canned dog food mixed in. Her teeth are still very healthy according to the vet, and she’s not missing any except for the one she knocked out when she was a puppy trying to carry around a heavy rock (she still thinks large rocks are turtles!)

I’m hoping she’ll be with me at least a couple more years, but I find myself preparing and thinking about the day when she’ll be gone. Then it occurred to me that I should just enjoy her now and live in the present. She doesn’t care about getting older and neither should I. She’s been a blessing to me. She loves when I come home and licks my face. She lays at my feet when I’m at the computer. And she still begs with her head on my knee when I’m eating on the couch.

I’m going to stop thinking about her being gone and start thinking about her being here. And I’m going to try that with the humans in my life. None of us have much time in the grand scheme, so I’m going to make that effort to spend time with people (and dogs) while they’re here. And I might start chasing the cows too!

Give Us a Song To Sing

I sing in The Emmanuel Quartet and we had a great tour last weekend. We sang for a church service in Columbus, GA and were well-received there. Then we had our “home” concert at the Ooltewah SDA Church in Ooltewah, TN. We’d promoted the concert heavily and were happy to see about 260-270 people there. The concert was fun and it went well. It was good to see so many familiar faces  since we’re used to singing to groups who don’t know us.

On Sunday we sang at the Alpine Baptist Church in Hixson, TN and we all agreed that it was one of the most friendly and welcoming churches we’ve ever had the privilege of seeing. We sang for about 50 minutes and then Pastor Jimmy got up to speak since it was their homecoming Sunday. Martha Jeffery, the lady who’d invited us, has proclaimed that we’re her new buddies and we gladly accepted the job! She and the church family are wonderful people and we hope to be able to sing for them again in the future.

God is blessing us with good product sales and full tour weekends. And our association with Adventist World Radio is an even bigger blessing. Who could ask for more from a ministry?