Monday Morning

At some point in the day, I expect to hear from Aaron and Jenny as they are arriving back in the States from their honeymoon. It's been weird not hearing from Aaron in a week. We generally text or talk pretty much every day. It's different from when I moved away from home; first to go to school and then to...well, move away from home.

No texting. No e-mail. No Facebook. No cell phones. And to call was long distance! And if I was calling home, it was going to be long distance COLLECT! And that meant money...so it didn't happen often.

Today it only costs me the monthly fee of adding the kids' phones to my account and I can talk to them as often as they'll answer my call. I've found that they are much more likely (for whatever reason) to respond to a text message than a phone call...and I guess that's okay. Maybe it's because they have a little bit of manners and are in a place where a cell phone conversation might be inappropriate.

My cell phone plan also allows me to contact my parents on a pretty regular basis. I like that. I like keeping in touch with them and I like my kids knowing that I keep in touch with my parents, too. Maybe they'll follow suit and keep in touch with their parents!

Tomorrow is the day that we move our baby into the college dormitory! How does that happen so quickly? Hannah has been doing laundry, shopping, packing, cleaning and getting ready for the day. I know that the first few days will be very busy and full of excitement. I really don't think that Hannah will be the type to get homesick. As long as she has a good book and a quiet place, she'll be just fine. She is incredibly bright, very pretty, and fun to be with.

I do worry that she is a bit too trusting, always giving people the benefit of the doubt (whatever that means) and seeing the good in everybody. While that is true, she is still is difficult to get to know and has a pretty small circle of close friends. In any case, by the end of the week she'll be in a whole new world...and Dad will be a distant outsider. :(

Towards the end of the week, Chris and Kathi (Aaron's new mother-in-law) will be making a trip to Chicago to bring some things to the kids and exchange vehicles. That will leave me at home alone for a couple of days. I'll probably cancel my leave from work for those two days and save them for another time.

A week from today will find Chris and me in our own new world. It's all good. Just a part of growing up, right? I'm very proud of my kids. I am getting to see them grow into great adults and am looking forward to watching them impact their world.

But for now...it's time to get this week started.

John

Give Me a Break...

Actually, I'm giving myself a break. It's the day of the week that I've been posting my weight loss progress but I've decided that I'm not even going to weigh in today.

Wedding weekend was pretty brutal as far as diet and exercise went. Too much food and too much to do. Rather than get bogged down with a setback, I decided that I'll look at how I'm doing next week and go from there. I have managed to spend time each day this week on the exercise bike, as well as a little bit of time with weights. Eating habits are back to limiting the bad carbs and eating in moderation. I've decided that I'm going to cut back on the caffeine--still drinking my morning coffee but cutting back on the soda and going for more water throughout the day.

I'll let you know how that's going...next week!

*****

And now for a trick break! If you follow me on Facebook, you've already seen this. If not, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yw7oX5CXhk

John

"Répondez s'il vous plaît"

In the United States, we love French fries (in France, are they just fries?). We love French toast, which is not necessarily made from French bread. And we like French pastries.

It would seem that the French know quite a bit about cooking and baking.

There have been great French artists, French composers, and of course, the Father of Modern Magic--Frenchman Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France.

It would seem that many of the things that we have received from the French, we often take for granted. "Respondez s'il vous plait" is a French statement that also seems to go unnoticed.

You are more likely to see it as RSVP. The English translation is "Please respond."

The reason that I write about this today is that it seems that few people really understand just what RSVP means and what the associated etiquette is.

It's probably just a case of ignorance--not knowing the proper RSVP etiquette. So consider this as a public service post to educate every reader on the importance of RSVP etiquette.

John

ps--no response is necessary

Old Bands, Old Times, Old People

There's something about watching old men play music from their younger days that makes me kind of sad. I mean it's great that they are still rockin' and rollin' after four decades; and they still sound great; and I still like the old songs; but when I hear the music on the radio, my mind sees the young men that were performing when the song became a hit. Watching them--seeing them...well, it makes me feel old. It's bad enough that the only place to hear those great songs is on a "Classic Rock" or "Oldies" radio station.

Last night, Chris and I ended "Wedding Weekend" by taking in a concert that was a reunion of sorts. All of the bands had played at the Cowtown Ballroom back in the early 70's. Four groups played from 6:30pm until about 12:30am at the new Blackoak Amphitheater in Lampe, MO.

The pre-concert music was on a small stage outside of the main amphitheater stage and featured Nathan McEuen, son of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen. We enjoyed several minutes of this young man's music as he played his guitar and was accompanied by his world famous dad. It was obvious that they were both very proud of the other's accomplishments. Nathan also joined his father on the main stage later in the evening.

Brewer and Shipley started the concert and played for almost an hour. They told this story about one of their hits, One Toke Over the Line. I enjoyed their music which was exactly what I think of when I think of folk music.

Poco was up next and it was a very enjoyable concert. Band founder Rusty Young is still leading the group and sounding great.

It was interesting when Foghat took the stage. None of the current members were a part of the original band. The volume of the music was up quite a bit and I had to laugh as I saw several people using make-shift earplugs of some kind. (side note: there was an awful lot of grey, white, and artificially colored hair in the audience!)

The band that I really wanted to see and hear was The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. They took the stage just before 10:30 and played for two hours (including the 15 min encore)! The newest member of the current band joined them 32 years ago! It must be difficult to choose from four decades of music for a single show. Wikipedia has a great history of the band and the evolution of the group since it first started in 1966 by (still the lead vocalist/guitar) Jeff Hanna.

Although the outdoor venue was hot until well after the sun was down (and humid even then) and the hillbillies and rednecks don't get the whole non-smoking venue (I guess if you're outside it must be okay to smoke), it was a nice evening out with Chris a good wrap up for a pretty busy weekend. We took back tuxedos this morning, mailed in the marriage licence and had a simple lunch. Our son is married and by now should be on the beach in Mexico. Our baby will be off to college in just over a week. Our families have gone back to their homes and soon it will be back to just me and Chris at home--just like when we first got married--no kids and no money!

Well, it was good then and I'm sure that it will be even better now!

Man, I have a good life!

John

Wedding Day!

The clock tells me that it is now the early moments of August 7, 2010. Before the day is over, Aaron and Jenny will be married. I am really hoping that all will go well for them--not just for this day, but throughout their marriage.

I think that the rehearsal went well. I tried to keep things simple and hope that we did enough of the walk through that nobody will feel uncomfortable when it's time for the real work later today.

If you've been reading Out of My Hat for very long, you already know that I think that I have a grand family. I am truly humbled that the gang is all here. With the great distances that had to be traveled, the late notification for planning an additional summer outing, the many things that occupy our busy lives--I really wasn't expecting so many to make it. Just two of the 30 (soon to be 31) members of my family (siblings, spouses, kids, and of course--Mom and Dad)were unable to make the trip. The have come from DC, Norfolk VA, Indianapolis, Chicago, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Central Illinois--and some of them traveled these great distances IN CARS WITH KIDS!

I wish that we had more time to spend together and that there wasn't so much to do in the way of wedding stuff. Oh well. I haven't even seen Mom and Dad yet.

In addition to family, we have some great friends that are doing so much to help us. Friends from my church family are the best. I know that in addition to the ones that have been helping with the dinner, decorating, sound, etc., there will be a church full of those that are coming to celebrate with us and witness the wedding in a few short hours.

It is not my intent to slight Chris' family or any of Jenny's relatives. I am just so grateful to my siblings for making the trip to be here for my son's big day. This is the first of my parents 17 grandkids to get married. That means a whole bunch of weddings are in the future of this family. I'm looking forward to them all!

Well, I still have some work to do to get ready for my part of the ceremony and a few hours of sleep would be nice. It's been a great start to the weekend. I hope that you will have a grand weekend, too. If you are in Ozark tomorrow afternoon, swing by Hopedale Baptist Church at 2pm and join us in celebrating Aaron and Jenny's wedding!

John

Btw, a big shout out to General Manager Jennifer Root of BWW on Battlefield in Springfield. She donated 100 of the 230 wings that we bought for the rehearsal dinner. Thanks, Jennifer! Stop by and let her know that you appreciate her helping us out!

Did you know...

It's been a long time since I posted a trivia Did you know...? kind of post. I'm not sure why--why it's been a while or why I decided to post one now.

Today we all know that vaccines help to prevent many diseases. Or in some cases, help us to recover from exposure to certain diseases. Vaccines work by introducing weak or dead disease causing micro-organisms. The immune system builds antibodies to ward off the invading microbes and is ready to go into mass production of these antibodies should the person be exposed to the actual live microbes at a later date.

The first vaccine was invented when it was observed that milkmaids seemed to be able to resist small pox after exposure to the much weaker disease of cowpox. In an experiment, a young boy was intentionally infected with cowpox. After allowing sufficient time for his body to produce the antibodies, he was infected with smallpox which the boy did not get.

Vacca is the Latin for cow and the root for vaccine.

And here's a bonus Did you know...

Vaca is the Spanish word for cow and vaquero is the Spanish word for cowboy. Our English word buckaroo, is a mispronunciation (or misunderstanding) of the Spanish word vaquero.

John

Wedding Week

It's Wednesday of "Wedding Week" and I am enjoying a short rest and cool glass of water after mowing the lawn. It was my intent to mow after a brief nap following the midnight shift so that I could beat the heat. Unfortunately I slept a little longer than I intended and ended up mowing under the midday sun. Temps will be close to 100F again today.

With only a few days until the wedding, naturally I've been thinking about what I might say to Aaron and Jenny during the ceremony. I think that it is so cool that I have the honor of officiating their wedding. I am truly hoping that everything goes well for them this weekend.

I want to share with Aaron from 1 Peter 3:7.

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them (wives) with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life,  that your prayers may not be hindered. (NKJV)

When Peter mentions the weaker vessel, he is not referring to the physical strength of a man verses a woman. I like to think of his use of a weaker vessel as comparing a china teacup to a heavy ceramic coffee mug. While both have the purpose of holding a hot beverage, one is more delicate and more valuable than the other.

You may have a special place to display your fine china--maybe an open or glass front cabinet. You give it a place of honor among drinking vessels and everybody that comes into your home knows that these are "special" vessels. You only use them for special occasions and guests are honored when you allow them to use these fine china teacups.

Coffee mugs, on the other hand, are an everyday item. They may be stacked in a cupboard or stored on the counter. They are both functional and durable. We think nothing of using them daily and they hold no special meaning or value.

We (husbands) are to live with them with understanding (NIV says to be considerate) because we are heirs with them. Our marriage partnership includes the blessings of God's grace. And finally, Peter says that when we don't give honor to our wives, God doesn't hear our prayers.

Sharing with Jenny about being a godly wife is a bit more difficult. I think that Paul understood that it's difficult for a woman to listen to an man tell her how to be a godly woman. In his letter to Titus (2:3-5), he writes:

...the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ^that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ^ to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (NKJV)

It is so important for a young Christian woman to have godly Christian women as role models. I will encourage her to seek women of faith that she can confide in and go to for wise counsel. I will remind her that, as a pastor's wife, she will be that "Titus woman" for many girls and young women and must always be aware of how her actions as a wife will be perceived by other women.

I am really looking forward to watching these two young adults as they grow in their relationship with each other and as they continue to mature in their relationship with God.

It's going to be a great weekend!

John

^

Something From the Fat Boy

Yeah, that's me--the Fat Boy. I started out the year with the idea that I would lose 50 pounds by my 50th birthday. I even started out doing pretty well at working toward that goal. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of the goal or just got tired of working at it and so June 13th came and went and the only thing that happened was that I turned 50 and weighed the most that I've ever weighed.

Aside from feeling like crap and either having to struggle to fit into clothes that are too tight or buy a new wardrobe, I also face the typical overweight health issues. I've noticed that my blood pressure is slowly on the rise, my knees get sore more often, stairs are a little bit more of a problem, ... you get the idea.

So along with a couple of the other fat boys that I work with, I'm back into the "be a better me" mode and we have a little contest to get us started on the way to a healthier weight. Our initial weigh in was eight days ago and the contest portion of my weight loss ends on August 31st. I really don't think that I'll be at my goal of 210 pounds by then, but that's the contest weigh in date.

We're all off to a good start with each of us losing 7-8 pounds in the first 8 days. While I fully expect these two guys to keep me on track for the first six weeks, I'm going to borrow from one of my Facebook friends and post a weekly progress report.

Week 1: minus 8lbs. (16% of my goal).

I've been eating better (and less) and trying to get a little bit of exercise. Although I think that increasing activity is more of my style rather than an exercise program. I'm taking my cue from Dr. Yoni Freedhoff at Weighty Matters, and from Lucy, the dog. Unfortunately, I don't do too much that is very active these days so I have been using the recumbent bike while watching a ball game...or watching a ball game while using the bike. I don't suppose it really matters which I'm doing with purpose and which is incidental. Although since the Cardinals have been playing like minor leaguers lately, I guess the main focus has been on the "activity" part!

I'm also going to try to get more sleep. I know that there is a correlation between weight gain and a lack of sleep. It makes sense that there would also be a correlation for a good night's sleep and weight loss. That's going to be harder than setting aside time to exercise!

In any case, we're off and running (so to speak). I'll keep you posted as to how it's going.

Oh yeah, I've also been drinking more water and tea and only had a couple of sodas in the past 5 days.

Soon to be the ex-Fat Boy,

John

Monday Morning Quarterback

I know that it's not yet the season for Monday morning quarterbacking, but I thought I'd borrow the phrase as I rehash a bit of yesterday morning's Sunday School discussion.

The text was taken from the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and was about the resurrection--both the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. Some how we managed to get off topic and were talking about what heaven will be like--if we'll recognize each other, if we'll know one another as we know one another now (mother, son, spouse, etc.), and if there will be animals in heaven (pets from earth or heavenly animals).

Personally, I find these discussions (especially about animals) to be a waste of time as they are purely speculation. But since we managed to take up a good portion of our class on the topic, I thought I'd just throw it out there for my readers to weigh in on.

For the discussion, I'm going to have to assume that you believe in heaven. If you don't, well...I guess you'll have to wait for the next open topic. Rather than have too many different ideas of heaven, let's just stick with the idea of animals in heaven.

Will there be animals in heaven?

Will they be animals that are created for heaven or will they be animals that were on earth?

If you think they will be animals from earth, does that mean that animals have souls?

If your pets will be in heaven, does that mean that all animals will be in heaven?

Apparently, there are people that feel pretty strongly about this topic that I really don't care about. If you're one of them, feel free to share your thoughts on the subject.

John

Happy Birthday!

To be more correct, I suppose it should be "Happy Anniversary"

Out of My Hat wasn't really born on the 25th of July, 2006, but that is the date that it was first published. Looking back, that very first post is still one of my favorites...and I still think that I need to write that book.

I don't really expect that to happen until I decide that I'm willing to commit a set amount of time to write on a daily basis. I haven't even been able to keep a faithful time for posting regularly on this blog. How could I ever manage a book?

Out of My Hat hasn't changed much in four years. I've added a few widgets to see who is reading and a recent addition to count down to retirement. Topics are about as varied as I originally expected but I feel like I should do more under the label of "Favorite Bible Stories" or "message".

I'd like for you to endure fewer rants on politics or religion but they seem to be a pretty big part of discussions in society so I'll probably continue with the occasional thought here. I'd like to write about more fun stuff--fun for me to write about as well as fun for you to read. In the beginning, this started out as something that I was doing for me. I never would have guessed that I would have regular readers from around the globe or that I would make friends from so many countries. I feel a little bit obligated to provide some meaningful writing instead of writing about "the life of John" most of the time.

I'll try to look at this day as a new beginning. I want to recapture the fleeting enthusiasm for writing that was here four years ago. I really do want to write more often. I think that Facebook, Twitter and other social media sources have contributed to a decline in blogging. Several once regular bloggers have quit writing blogs for the ease of the short "status update" or "tweet" about their current moment by moment situation. I'm pretty sure that has a lot to do with the decline in the frequency of my posts.

Originally, I thought that I'd be posting once, maybe twice, per week. At times it was much more often than that. Other times it was only a couple of posts that were weeks apart. I'll try to be more consistent and get back to the once or twice per week where I started.

In any case, if you've been with me from the beginning (or reading for some time), Thanks for your loyalty. If you're relatively new to Out of My Hat, stick around. We'll have some fun, discuss a variety of topics and enjoy the daily input from blogs and bloggers from around the globe.

John