My Roses Are Crying "Help!"

At a distance my rose garden is quite attractive.

It is very pleasant to glance at the garden

 as I turn in the driveway.

(I know you can sense a "but" coming!)

BUT...

I have never claimed to have a green thumb,

which becomes obvious upon closer inspection

of these roses. 

In the first place, there are about a jillion blooms

on some of the bushes.

   

This is just one bush.

I've tried talking to them.

"Hey, guys, couldn't we go for a little quality here

rather than so much quantity?"

Then there's the ugly brown edging on some of

the blooms.

 And these would be such a beautiful color!

After a few more weeks, I will probably also see 

black spots on some of the roses.

At least I have in the past.

Any advice from you rose experts out there?

I did find this one pretty flower.

 

One out of ten jillion!!!

H E L P !

Maddie's Thriving Outside the Bubble

I really can't remember my reaction when I heard that

Madeline Metzger (my older granddaughter) had

decided to spend her college career at the

University of Texas!!!

As many of you know, her parents both graduated from

Baylor University!

Madeline and her sister, Susannah, were taken to

every Baylor homecoming celebration in

their little cheerleader outfits waving

green and gold pom poms.

It really never occurred to us that either of them

would consider any college BUT Baylor.

However...

I really can't remember any of us being horrified when

she began considering UT.

Surprised, yes; maybe even shocked.

But not horrified.

I think I always "had a peace" (a Baptist expression!)

about it.

Maddie is a very peace-inspiring girl.

I admired Susan and Rob for never putting

pressure on her to

change her decision.

Maddie has had a maturity about her forever.

I'm not sure I appreciated that maturity

fully until this weekend.

Maddie has, of course...for sure...found her niche

 at the University of Texas.

She is truly thriving outside her 

family--Baptist--Fielder Church bubble.

She is salt and light to her new world!

Matthew 5:13-16

We went down to hear her acapella group

The Ransom Notes

perform on Friday night.

Susan and I got to take her to lunch on Friday and

get a preview of the talk she was giving that

afternoon for her junior high "Wyldlife" group.

Someone laughed when I said "Wyldlife"

was Madeline's new passion at UT!

That is the name of the junior high

division of the Christian campus organization,

Young Life.

Her talk was amazing.

She has spiritual maturity and depth beyond

what I had at twice her age.

What a great, inspiring, beautiful example she is

for Jesus

to some blessed junior high girls. 

We were the first ones at the theatre for the

concert--Susan, Rob, his mom Shirley, and I.

(Susannah had obligations in Arlington.)

But guess who else was there?

All Maddie's Wyldlife team came to support her!

It was such a pleasure to get to meet 

those she calls "her family!"

Of course, those of you who know Maddie know

she is multi-faceted!

She is going to be performing in

 "Summer Stock Austin" this summer--

with her little sis!

She is living in the beautiful Tri-Delt house

next year and is their

Regional Philanthropy Chairman.

She works with local philanthropies and

charities, restaurants, and boutiques

on behalf of St. Jude Children's Hospital.

What's been amazing is how much she and her

family LOVE Austin.

It is so charming, fun, trendy, unique--

it is truly like a different world.

Here I am at Sandra Bullock's restaurant!

And yes, we had to pay $8 to park!

Finding a place to park in Austin is nigh on to impossible.

Here is a sign at the Magnolia Cafe 

where we went for lunch.

Maddie knew to walk right up and sign us in!

 And speaking of parking...

Susan let us out and had to park at least a

half mile away and walk up a steep hill to get

to the restaurant!

What a blessing it has been for me to be able to

share in the life of Madeline Jane Metzger.

Especially this weekend!

But...have you heard?

Susannah Logan Metzger will be wearing the

green and gold this fall!!!

We get to have the best of both worlds!!!

Stay tuned to hear how this equally special

girl blossoms and spreads the love of

Christ in Waco!

I can't wait!

  

 

    

Oh, no. It's Spring.

This is what I see out my kitchen window in the spring.

It is even more brilliantly red than it appears here.

This is what I love about spring.

That's it.

because... 

After spring comes summer.

There is absolutely nothing I love about summer.

(Except that my schoolteacher friends don't

have to teach every day.)

With very fair skin, you certainly

won't find me "sun worshiping."
I already have my dermatologist on speed dial.

 

I do not like sweating perspiring.  At all. 
I find it gauche (which rhymes with gross.)

In order to keep Charleigh-Girl and me from
sweating perspiring,
I have to take out bank loans to pay our
summer electric bills.

I do not like mosquitoes, but they LOVE me.

 

I liked my own children, but I do not like all the

 pesky children swarming everywhere you go

in the summer.

TV shows are all reruns in the summer.
(No new Judge Judy=depressing.)


However, 

When all is said and done, I will cheerfully 
greet and love

each and every new day of my life and say,
 "This is the day the Lord has made.

I will rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

Susan taught her girls to say, not that they

didn't like something, but that it 

"wasn't their favorite."

So...

Spring and summer just aren't my favorite

times of the year. 

Get Out Your Tiny Violins

I feel like I need to let y'all know.

I didn't win.

I'm not going to get to meet Judge Judy.

(Sad music and frowny faces)

 

 

I can't be ugly or resentful because of the 

winner's circumstances.

The winning essay was written by the

father of a ten year old with autism.

 

Here it is:

 

When my son Elijah was born 10 years ago, I like any father, thought about bonding with him while watching the Super Bowl or playing 18 holes on a sunny afternoon.  When he was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, those hopes, as petty as they now seem, were forever dashed.
However, a new bonding vehicle was created, watching Judge Judy together.  With the help of a DVR, we watch together as Judge Judy dispenses justice, with Elijah commenting, "I don't like plaintiff! Will Judge Judy send the defendant out?" and rewinding to watch again when the Judge opines (his favorite line is the one about the educational system being in the toilet, which he repeats in a New York accent.)   He loves the show and Judge Judy, asking if someone is right or wrong and whether justice was done.  I just love the fact that he can laugh and have so much happiness while watching the show. And I had to laugh when my wife brought home the wrong kind of milk and my son said, "Mom, you made a mistake! You got the wrong milk for me! I am plaintiff and you are defendant!"  I cannot imagine what meeting you in person would do for him, but it would be something special.

 

Don't worry about me too much.

I think I'll be okay.

Sniff, sniff.

I'll still be a fan.

P.S.  You can read my {frivilous} essay by clicking

HERE

I'm sure I came in second!

My Way of Remembering This Day

It's April 10, 2014, the fourth anniversary of

Jack Stovall's homegoing.

The day slipped by me in 2013.

Maybe that's why I've been so aware of it this year.

As I've thought about it, one event kept coming to mind.

It occurred in 2005 onboard the Crystal Symphony.

We sailed on back to back cruises from

Ft. Lauderdale to Rome.

Here we are embarking!

Now the above photo shows Jack with his usual

"smile."

I think you will observe his smile getting amazingly

 more "smiley" as these pictures progress!

We had the cherished "table for two by the window."

This was a repositioning cruise, meaning we were

out in the middle of the Atlantic for days!

However, Crystal has something no other cruise

line on which I have ever been has.

The Symphony had a live camera in the

computer lab that refreshed once a minute.
There was a web site where the lab could be seen
at any time.

It took a lot of time coordination, but

our family could actually see us--live--onboard--
in the middle of the ocean--halfway around the world!
Here we are in our first appearance!

And...later here is serious, straight-laced Jack Stovall

a.k.a. GAGA

blowing a kiss to his girls back home!

And they knew exactly what he was doing!  

Here's their message back to us:

 
Here's Gaga taking a little snooze with a
stuffed ape from Gibralter on his shoulder.
(One of the emails from the girls asked, 
"Any stuffed animals for us yet???")

  Here is another of my favorite pictures from
this trip.
We are tendering in to Portofino, Italy.
His really big smile is because a sign as we
boarded the tender said, "Mind your head!"
Good advice!
His head is actually touching the ceiling!

And this is Portofino--one of the seven wonders
of my world.
See the hotel on top of the mountain?

On our previous trip here we did not make
it up there to see it.
This time I had us walk all the way up!

Here Jack is after our ascent.
Poor thing!  I felt terrible.  Then we walked down!!
 I found out later that everyone else took
some form of transportation!
(But he was really hamming it up!)

Now here we are on a bus traveling to Pisa.

This wouldn't have been fun at all to see
without him...

And we always had to pay homage to one of our
major benefactors:

This one is in Livorno, Italy, where the
Symphony docked.


And here we are in Rome at the Trevi Fountain.

While the coins we're tossing didn't actually
get us back to Rome this time,
I feel like I've been back tonight.

I'm so amazed--and grateful--that
God allows wonderful memories like these
to overshadow the sad times.
He has truly done that in my life.

The voices of a million angels could not express
my gratitude.
All that I am or ever hope to be...
I owe it all to You.
***To God be the Glory***