The Chindo

The Little House On Oso

2011-10-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

There is a little red house on Oso Street. For those who know it by heart, this quiet walk through its gardens, rooms and halls will awaken the sweetest of memories. For those who have loved another place in this world, this is a tribute to "home" and its hold on every heart. And for those who may have never had a home where love was spoken freely, welcome. There is room for every heart in this house where love once lived and thrived.

Knotty Walnut

Fenceline Flowers

Rose Link Fence

Smoke Tree

Mail Call

Birdhouse Dawn

Lamppost

Oh Say Can You See

Love's Seat

Love Lived Here

Doorbell

Landmarked

Historic Marker - 1957

Watch The Sprinklerheads

The Way Back

The Blue Room

Bedroom Blues

Morning Sun

Granite Garden

Garden Home

Persimmon Lavender

Grapefruit Harvest

His Workshed

Daddy's Home

Workbench

Grease And Oil

Organized

Do It Yourself

Wash Up For Dinner

Her View

Seasoned

Warmth

Tea Cart

Red Glass

Ruby Slipper

Ruby Glass

Throne

No Nobler Reward

Centerpiece

Door Lights

Home And Hearth

Morris Chair

Cherries For Hearts

Lace View

Treasure Drawer

Rocker

Hearth Stage

Poker

A Little Light

Hall Tree

Tick Tock

Grandfather's Clock

Phone Booth

Couts Corridor

Tub Time

Oso Grande

Amber Lamp

Saucers

As A Tailgunner Saw It

Through Light

French Doors

Sweet Passage

Family Portrait - 1953

In Love

Magnolia Morn

2010-05-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

Steadfast and strong
Velvet of touch
Fragrant
in love
To those she shades
From so much

Opening her heart
Broad
petals of snow
Catch sunlight
To cast it
On passers below

The breeze swirls
Aroma, allure
Stand near her
And know her
Motherhood
pure

Happy Mothers Day, Mom

Of Forests and Fishes

2009-09-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite like spending a week with my brother on his beautiful island.

See more at The Mad Fishicist.

Mystery Spot

2009-07-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

(WARNING: The following post is extremely personal in nature. Unless you are one of the certain handful of people this was intended for, you will simply not understand. We apologize for the inconvenience.)

Can you guess where I found myself today?

Here are some hints:

Sport

Portal

Cubicle

Rest

Secret Passage

Victuals

Guess the place each photo was taken and win a look at the other pictures.

Young Guns

2008-12-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

"You ask about my consience
And I offer you my soul.
You ask if I'll grow to be a wise man
Well, I ask if I'll grow old.
You ask me if I've known love
And what its like to sing songs in the rain.
Well, I've seen love come
I've seen it shot down
I've seen it die in vain."
- JBJ, Blaze Of Glory

I can remember being those boys like I can remember the taste of dinner. It was easy to imagine ourselves bigger than life in a place like that. Legends. Renowned.

So much lay ahead of us - the good, the bad, and the ugly, distance and direction, love and loss, potential and regret. No, we didn't go down in a blaze of glory. We simply kept following the trail.

This one's for you, pardner.

A Poem For A Frame

2008-12-07T00:06:00.001-08:00

Tattering plaster.
Left out in the rain.
Too grand for good use.
A castaway frame.

Profile embossed.
Its charm. Its appeal.
Held a portrait? A mirror?
Their absence conceal.

Found by the road.
Hung on nails in the sky.
Holding one final masterwork.
My family and I.

Evacuation!!

2008-10-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here's what it looked like today when we evacuated. Very scary. We had no idea the fire was as close as it was until we turned out of our driveway. At this point we had not had any evacuation requests from officials. It seemed like nobody expected it to get like this so quick.

We were blessed to have a premonition that this would threaten us. At the first reports of a fire a few miles away, we started to load our car with the necessary items. Within an hour we were ready to roll without a minute to spare. Thank God with us that we were all safe and sound.

At this writing, we still aren't sure our house is safe. We've seen it on tv but aren't sure it's out of the path.

By the way, you should have seen how great our kids and the cousins performed under this scary pressure. We were a tight knit team when we left the house.

God is good.

Epic

2008-07-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

I found a little brown, leather notebook on the shelf in the blue room. The following is an exact transcription from the original text. Attempts have been made to maintain the integrity of the original, so all punctuation and spelling are as they were written. Some words that were illegible have been transcribed as they appear.

This is The Epic.

Sat 12 Noon
Off for Mountains
Isaac, Freddy, Becky, Annie, Robbee, Andy, G.Pa
Ken & Mandy & Lincoln – will meet us at camp. Stopped at Renos – Good lunch – got gas film ice cream ice & off for camp.
Long train delay at Mojave – finally off about 2 p.m.

Mandy (crossed out) Becky drove the truck and made it most of the way tot the top. we saw crows a roadrunner a baby jack rabbit & an old one on our way here.
Made it to our camp side 5 p.m. Ken & kids came about 5 30.

Took 8 of us to put our dumb tent up.
Had a good supper hamburgers & peaches & peas & corn – roasted mushmallows at 9 p.

Sunday AM –
Great breakfast bisquits eggs & bacon juice & coffee then had church services – Ken Beck GP & Mandy on one side of creek – the others on opposite side. Isaac introduced Freddy who delivered an excellent sermon & lesson.
Robby will have the service tonight.

We took off at 10 AM & climbed & climbed really a long way

to highest part of mountain to east.

Then a scary trip back to creek where where we all refreshed our selves with cool water to drink & bath.

Back to camp at 330 P for sandwiches & cold drinks – guess what? We killed a rattler. Isaac nearly stepped on it and we got the kids back & killed it. – mass hysteria –

Drove in rain on highway Thundering now
Beautiful cloud formations – many infernal flies – large spider
Mosquito bites – all whittled – many mosquitos tonight – we ate in the camper
Pork chops – corn mashed potatoes apple sauce – well recieved by all.

Good church service taken from Revalations & John & Robbee made the sermon – had nice hymns too. Really a blessing the way Freddie & Robbee lead us today – I think of the scripture re a small child shall lead.

Andy found a big piece of obsidian – our only artifact.
Robby & Freddie to do dishes tonight – Becky is tired – she took a couple of hard falls today.
All saw (Jager?) & quail today.

Monday 10 AM
Good sleep – good breakfast – eggs bacon O.J. Hot cereal corn chips etc. going for hike
1 hr then to Kern River – hope our camp is all here when we get back. All OK boys climb trees & play catch Becky washes & cleans the camper over & over & over & Mandy lays around all time dreaming about whatever 14 year old girls dream about –

Monday eve
Glorious day – had a nice hike & drove to Kern river – stopped at the store for candy bars & chips – drove on to the river – made hot dogs for lunch while kids got muddy in the river –

so beautiful the clouds black & ominous Thunder & lightning. We put the canopy up & I made noodles & beef with cheese gravy. Pear halves & cakes. Kids are playing catch. Freddie thought he’d seen a snake & showed me where there was a little movement in the dirt. I dispatched it with the shovel & it was the fattest toad I’d ever saw. I felt bad because it was by the toilet and it had kept the bug numbers low – Nice soft rain & no bugs tonight

Annie says:
Tonight Lincoln and Andy are going to sleep in the camper (maybe) the rest of them are sleeping in the tent. And are going to have a great time and Annie is going to sleep in the camper with Becky. Have a great fire going in the rain. + Quoted Annie.
Hornets rough – I showed Annie how to train one so they wouldn’t sting. (With my fist!!)
Annie kicked Lincoln in the eye & made him cry – Andy and Annie comforted him & covered him with a towel while he bawled in the rain.

Tues AM
Finished breakfast Blueberry pancakes Bacon eggs & O.J.
Cleaning up camp & camper – Made a long close line for the sleeping bags _ tent let in about 1” of water on the floor & I really believe I could build a tent 2 people could erect & that would shed a little rain!
We are going to go on a desperation hike for artifacts after while – then we’ll eat lunch & head for lake Isabella.
Its a glorious day. We began it with swell prayer by Isaac Annie & Lincoln –

He has asked 55 times how far up the mtn we are going on our hike & I refuse to answer the 56th time.

Had a great short hike! no artifacts. Surely must be around somewhere. Maybe hit a (borvings?) next time.

We all had a good lunch prior to leaving for lake Isabella.
We’re off through breathtaking scenery.
Arrived at the (bicoray?)
(Becky’s handwriting) 4:00 gassed up in Isabella #21.75 60906 17 gal.
(G.Pa’s handwriting) about 2 PM and traveled through Onyx where terrible damage has occourred from Monday nights storm. One man dead by lightning and houses crushed by rocks & mud.
We saw beautiful Golden eagle, swallows hawks etc. Many squirrel & Beck saw 1 grey.
Isaac saw a jack rabbit.

We went to the T Shirt shop & got our T shirts & at 4 P started for home – 40 miles of unbelievable roads up and down because the canyon toward Backersfield is closed by rockslide. Got a good look at great hawk who soon tired of our eavesdropping & slid off the tree top he’d alighted upon.
Steadily droned on toward home stopped at grapevine for good dinner – good faire & happy trip
Praise the lord home at 8 30 P. to warm welcome. – Looking forward to (Alysaps?) Friday with howard.

Fourteen Funny Years Of Love

2008-07-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

"I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love or I had smallpox."
- Woody Allen

It's always funny to tell people we met singing karaoke in El Torito. They find it romantic, and odd, and sad, and sweet, and I think they all wish they met singing karaoke too.

Fourteen years ago TONIGHT, we went on our first date. It too was a bit of a shambles in the romance, expense, and intense departments. Then, as we sat on your floor laughing and looking through your photo albums, we somehow knew that in fourteen years, we'd still be crazy in love.

Happy first date baby.

The Desert of London Town

2008-07-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

London Bridge Anchor

He came to the desert of London town
Gray miles long;
He wandered up and he wandered down,
Singing a quiet song.

William Blake, by James B.V. Thomson

With a grand total of 34 hours of layover, I enjoyed a nice slice of London life. A desert to be sure in the human sense, but an oasis of culture and stories long told.

Blue Bells At Shakespeare's Globe

St. Paul's Cherub

St. Paul's Impression on the Sky

St. Paul's Impression on the People

City Bustle

Ringers at Ready

Queen's Garden

Shy Queen Consort

Paddington Cathedral

We Got Annie!

2008-05-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

"In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips."
~Author Unknown

Happy Birthday 1-14-14-9-5!

Fisherman's Luck

2008-03-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

"Pitch a lucky man into the Nile, says the Arabian proverb, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth!"
- NATHANIEL PARKER WILLIS

I remember fishing with my Grandpa. I remember catching nothing. I remember pouting.

My Grandpa seemed to always have good luck when fishing, even when he didn't catch anything. But he didn't measure fisherman's luck by the number of fish caught. He measured luck in jokes cast, prank victims hooked, and smiles reeled in.

Happy Saint Patrick's Birthday Grandpa!

Uncle Freddy

2007-12-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas, the children of my siblings totaled 3, and oh what fun we had. A couple months ago, my brother and his wife welcomed a little girl. Yesterday, my sister and her husband brought a new little boy into the world.

I look forward to the sweet day when all 5 of them can join me on the couch for a little bit of quality cartoon-time.

Thank you JDM and TMF. I love you very much.

The Pearl of Africa

2007-10-31T07:23:00.001-07:00

Traveling Together

2007-10-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."
- Proverbs 25:25

God has given you to me to be my traveling partners.

Though we are apart these few days, we travel still together. I will be thinking of you each day, anxiously waiting to hear the good news you have that will refresh my tired soul.

I look forward to the day when we travel side by side again.

Plus One

2007-08-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Last year, my Dad turned 60. We all went to Catalina Island to celebrate.

Now he's 61 so we'll celebrate by remembering Catalina. Enjoy.

Still Just

2007-07-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

In 1970, they drove away into their future together, remnants of their old lives dragging behind.

At 37 years, they are still "Just Married" and act like it more and more.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.

Share the memories, but keep the details to yourself.

Moving Forward

2007-07-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

"We're moving forward!"

These are the encouraging words I hear almost daily from my partner and dear friend, JJ. He finds himself up against resistance, walls, or unexplainable stalls from people who are apparently on board with our projects (least of all me) and he still has his eyes set at the big goal beyond.

Thanks J for moving us forward even when we wanted to stop.

Happy birthday from your fellow CAACONAA child,

- The Chindo

You Must Have Been

2007-06-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

"You must have been a beautiful baby
You must have been a wonderful child
When you were only starting to go to kindergarten
I bet you drove the little boys wild."
- Bing Crosby

Wife. Mother. Friend. Child of God.

Happy Birthday!

"You must've been a beautiful baby
'Cause baby look at you now."

Gateway To Glory

2007-06-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

"I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones."
Isaiah 54:12

There are myriad sights in this world that would astound us unto uncontrollable praise if we would only let them. When I saw this odd, optical delight in Quito, Ecuador I was tickled, afraid, awed, and sad all at once. Had I been a prophet, I may have mistaken it for a vision.

"The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald..."
- Revelation 21:18,19

Having trouble making it out? You're not the first. Why not guess what it is in the comments section below? It is best viewed at full size so click on it to enlarge.

The Pit

2007-06-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the pit, The Pit Of Hell!

These were the words that echoed back to us the night we first entered the water drainage tunnels beneath Orange County.

When you're pushing 20, you don't have a girlfriend, school is out, and you aren't heading off to war, you come up with lots of ways to entertain yourself and your friends. In the summer of nineteen hundred ninety, I, along with my friends Jeff (Fox Fortress), Loren (The Hoss), and Derek (Dude), found many ways to keep our idle hands out of the devil's toolbox. We used my car for dirt clod target practice. We fashioned broadswords out of hardware shop leftovers and battled one another on windy nights. We found new, not quite rule-abiding, ways to enjoy amusement parks.

But the diversion we enjoyed the most was to find an accessible underground waterway and spelunk it to our hearts' content. Don't faint away quite yet, dear reader. Remember, we were in Southern California in the summer time. Never was there more than a 4 inch trickle of water at our feet so the danger of drowning in a torrential flood was quite remote. Still, there were abundant dangers at every turn.

We lit small candles or cracked glow sticks for a little light. Flashlights were never allowed. At times, we would even limit ourselves to 3 matches each just to make it interesting. We dodged homeless squatters and police helicopters. We raced through the dark on skateboards and a homemade go-cart called The Gutter Chariot.

One night we found ourselves in a wet and soggy tunnel. It was a bit breezy there so we knew we were near some sort of exit. Candles were flickering out quick and often. We decided to walk on in the dark until we really needed light. There was a crunchy, sticky feeling beneath our shoes like walking on hard-boiled Easter eggs. Flashes of imagined (or was it) movement at our feet made us quickly light one of our last matches to find that we were shoelace deep in hundreds of writhing crawdads.

Another night, Jeff, Loren and I found a construction site and ducked down into the brand new tunnels before the streets were even laid. As soon as we were deep enough to lose our sense of direction, we doused our lights. Just then, an unearthly BOOM shook the tube around us. A gunshot?! Our only instinct was to run back the way we came. The echoes there go on for minutes at a time so this horrid sound chased us through the tunnel. Then another bone cracking BOOM crashed above us, behind us, around us. Cave in?! Then another BOOM! Then another!

We found the exit, an open tube at the bottom of a freshly dug trench. Loren started climbing the dirt wall first, and fast. Then me, with Jeff behind, but not for long. At the sound of another BOOM, I felt a heavy hand crash down on my shoulder. I tried to grip the dirt wall but began to fall back. Another hand gripped my shoulder and then my face pressed into the mud. Jeff was climbing over my body to escape the tunnel and that horrendous BOOM! He got to the rim above and reached down to pull me up. Thanks buddy. We ran and hid in the brush and watched for a sign that the danger had come to an end.

That's when we saw him. A dark figure with something large in its hand was coming toward us in the moonlight. No more booms, but what was that sound? Was it laughter? Yes. This stranger coming toward us was laughing at us. We readied ourselves for a fight or a good, fast run. Then we recognized the Maui & Sons t-shirt. Derek had followed us down to the tunnels and waited for us to get inside. When he was sure we were good and deep, he had slammed a piece of plywood down on the open manholes with all his might. Terror gave way to more laughter, and the memory was cemented.

"You don't want to go in there! It's so scary, you'll poo your pants!", we'd say to those who asked to join us. "Shine that! I'm not going in there!", we'd say to one another at the entrance to a demonically grafittied tube. We never knew what we'd find and we never knew exactly how we would get back out.

Though I'd probably never do it again (my wife and kids need me too much I think), I still dream of returning to experience the adventure, the terror, and the brotherhood found in the Pit Of Hell!*

*The situations described here are real. However, any resemblance to the real "Hell" or any of its subsidiaries or agents are purely coincidental. Use of the phrase "Pit Of Hell" is solely for the descriptive purposes of the author and does not in any way imply that the author has been to Hell or wants any part of it.

"Hell" remains the eternal trademark of The Devil and his angels.

Beautiful Sister, Wonderful Mother

2007-05-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Why would my little sister become anything less than a beautiful mother?

At 10, she was anxious to show us how much she could do and be. At 20, she adored and influenced my own sweet daughter. Now at 30, she is showing herself to be a mother of grace and intuition.

Happy birthday sweet flower. Sister mother.

Sculpted For His Glory

2007-05-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

"Alexander - When will you finish Campaspe?
Apelles - Never finish: for always in absolute beauty there is somewhat above art."
- Lyly's Campaspe

At this point in her life I still hold one of the main sculptor roles. One day I will be positioned to sculpt a lot less.

But if I began sculpting more today and more every day after that, I could never make her any more than her creator, the master sculptor, has planned.

My daughter is 12. May God never finish the beautiful work he began in her before the foundations of the world.

There She Is

2007-05-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

There she is.

The God focused Mother I'm privileged to spend my life with. Though she humbly shrinks from the praise I give her, she leads my children with strength and guides them in the truth of God's Word.

May her joy be full this day.

50th post by the way. Not that you were counting.

Lazy

2007-05-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Like a Rook partner who's ready for bed, my blog has been a boring visit of late.

Please forgive and put The Chindo back among your favorites. I will endeavor to make this a fun destination once again.

I Sense A Pattern

2007-04-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Although he wasn't as consumed with fishing as he is now, my brother is surely describing the fish he almost caught in Rock Creek (aka "The C&L Ambush 10) while I was away in California, imagining myself the star of a John Hughes film, for summer vacation.

It's the same even today.

Although we are different now, he's less interested in impressing his older brother (though no less enthusiastic when he does) and I'm slightly less interested in impressing everyone else (though no less pleased with myself when I do), we still yearn to share our lives in deeper and more meaningful ways.

Happy Birthday Laughter!

Now, look back at the picture. We are in the Portland airport. I've been away to visit our families in Southern California and I'm just returning. The outfit speaks of that pitiful time in adolescence when one cannot see himself in a mirror quite clearly enough to realize his wretched attempts at style. I am wholly impressed with myself. My brother is dying to tell me all the cool owl pellets, beaver lodges and possible forts he found in the 2 acre woods by our house. I'm trying not to be impressed. I have, after all, seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off and he hasn't. Though the more he tells me about it, the more I want to change into camos and let him take me there. Our sister, unfortunately, is not registering on our radar. We don't intend to leave her out, but it's like natural or something y'know? Mom let her go to the airport in dolphin shorts. Dolphin shorts, Mom? Are those geometric mystery shapes on her dolphin shorts, Mom? Sorry sis. It was Mom, not the brothers that did that to you. Fortunately for Mom, she took the picture so I can't mention her denim jumper or crocheted peach and green cottage vest. Dad is having a tough day. Although he was excited to go and get his first born after a month away (he probably took the family to a waffle shop on the way over to the airport), he's not impressed with his son's newfound impression of his favorite girl cousin. Aloofness and snobbery never struck him as endearing qualities. If I don't give him "the joy of being back with the family" that he expected soon, we're gonna skip the trip to the Bonneville Dam to see the sturgeon.

Note the banner behind Isaac's head fortelling his future home away from home.

The Church Doing What It Does Best

2007-03-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

I made this video to share my experiences in Central America last week.

This little boy is at a church in Guatemala City. Poverty cripples the city and leaves orphans every day. I met children worse off than "Carlito", living in garbage dumps and eating what they find.

Carlito's story represents the stories of thousands of children who are served by the local church throughout Guatemala. Children's Hunger Fund is privileged to be able to supply the church with resources to serve needy children across America and around the world.

Be Mine Blizzard®

2007-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

My mom and I are both ENFPs. If you're not hip to the whole personality test culture, that means we're the same. We communicate in much the same ways, and we respond the same way to the attitudes and actions of others.

On her blog, she wrote about how she reacted to, and how her personality was moulded by, the actions of others during the Valentine's Days of her youth. The cruelty or forgetfulness of others caused her to need the romance and generosity of her husband on Valentine's Day like a tortoise need it's shell. It also caused her to become a regular and generous gift giver to the people she loves.

This is the story of one such Valentine's gift.

I wasn't much of a ladies man in high school (vis the picture above). In fact, I had a pretty serious self esteem problem. My Grandmother tells me of a time when I was a little boy and she said to me, "Oh Freddy! You're so handsome." As she recalls it, I replied, "Thank you Grandma, but that's okay. I know I'm ugly." Pretty pitiful, eh?

I desired to be liked by girls and to get the same attention from them that I perceived other boys were receiving. That's why when a bouquet of balloons, tied to a package of chocolates, and addressed to me appeared in the drive-thru window of the Dairy Queen where I worked, I thought I had finally become a ladies' man.

The note attached read:

"Dear Fred,

I love you!

Love,
Your Secret Admirer"

Oh the joy! Oh the sweet terror! Oh the flush of blood, dear reader, that filled every corpuscle in my face, neck and head! Some red-blooded (hopefully pretty) teenage girl admired me secretly! I couldn't be expected to make sundaes or mix Blizzards®! We would soon be together. We would hold our perspiring hands. Within days, even hours, of her mylar advance, we would share our first kiss!

But who is she? Is she Maya, the soccer playing cheerleader who works beside me making shakes and cones? She discovered the package. Nah. She hates me. Seriously, she does. What about Carrie from youth group? I think she might like me. But she lives in Washington. You wouldn't know her. And she doesn't have a license so she couldn't have come all the way down here for this. What about Angela? or Jenna?

Ho, but I was frustrated. My joy was turning to anger as I began to imagine that this was some kind of trick! It was probably brought by one of my buddies as a joke, or by one of mine enemies to torture and humiliate me. And the girls at the DQ kept asking, "Who is it, Fred? Who is your girlfriend?"

I was beginning to hate this bloody valentine! I dragged it home with me that night, despising the sound the balloons made as they thrashed one another in the wind. When I got home, I ripped the candy off the strings and let the balloons float to the ceiling in our split level entryway, and retreated to my bedroom to brood.

The next morning I heard my sister bubbling with excitement over the Valentine's balloons floating in the entryway. "Who are they for? Are they from a GIIIIRRRRELLLLL?" I crashed up the stairs where my mother and sister were waiting, grins grinning, waiting to hear my explanation.

I reached over the railing and grabbed the strings. I quickly pulled each balloon to my chest and clumsily burst them all. "It's just a stupid trick," I raged. "No girl likes me."

That's when I saw the look of hurt, not pity, flash across my mother's face.

To this day, I'm not very concerned with Valentine's Day. My wife isn't either. We may make a date to a restaurant during that week and one of us may pick up a card if it's convenient. We have our own little romantic events that we revere, but February 14th is just not that important to us.

But my Mom still sends Valentine's cards. She brings gifts for my kids. And each time we meet, she lets me know how much she loves me.

My mother may never again pretend to be my secret admirer. I guess that is what caused all the confusion in the first place. You see, I already knew she admired me. That was NEVER a secret.

Happy belated Valentine's Day.

The Chindo

Scallywag Sketches

2007-02-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

I was blessed with the opportunity to be one of 2 artists chosen to create images for the premiere pirate rock band, Captain Bogg and Salty. Below are some of the sketches that didn't quite make the cut and some that did. By the way, if you think that because we're in league with pirates, you can freely steal these images, you're wrong. We are neck deep in copyrights and lawsuit successes so don't even try it.

I love this guy. Stuck out at sea for months at a time, a pirate dreams of simple luxuries like fresh fruit. This mate found himself a quiet perch in the riggings to enjoy this most rare of delicacy. By the way, I did draw this before Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean showed Captain Barbossa longing for a juicy bite of apple. Cutting edge indeed.

When your ship is blown to smithereens by a Commodore of the Realm, it's best to make do with what you have to
help you get away. Hang peg!

This poor fellow was left to fend for himself when he broke with the pirate code. Though a cruel piece of pirate justice, being left to drift on the open sea may not be so final when they've let you take along a few necessities, like limes for the scurvy.

"Treasure maps and goldy rings will fill your heart with glee. Apple cores and limey fruits will keep you from scurvy. Powder kegs and cannon balls will save your neck mate. But what makes a pirate glad he's alive? PIECES OF 8IGHT!"

Click here to watch the hilarious video for the song that inspired this sketch. Incidentally, this one made it into the album cover.

What happens if the only pirate who knows where the treasure is buried takes his final voyage down to Davy Jones? The spit of an island it was buried on gets swallowed by the sea and the treasure is lost forever. This sorry bloke entombed with the treasure is a grim reminder of the dangers of living a pirate's life. This too made it into the sleeve.

He may greet you in the street with a smile and a bow, but behind your back he's plotting your ruin for his gain. Note the artist's sorry mistake. This greasy chap was drawn with two right hands. Oops.

Superstition guides much of a sailor's days, so when a real life sea serpant gives you a ride on her back, you drink to her health and pray never to see her again.

If you'd like to join the crew, you can buy the album below.

You can also purchase them song by song at itunes here (of course you can't see all the album art if you don't buy the cd above).
Pegleg Tango or Bedtime Stories For Pirates

Especially In That Sunshine

2007-01-22T22:29:00.000-08:00

"I stare to gain her stare, and still I'm making no sense.
Raise the curtain. Ease the focus.
Even the naked have their moments."
- Circe's Smile

We had our genius. We had our problems.

I'm not sure if it ever made sense, but we made some interesting music and loved the pretty lights.

We were a rock band. We were Circe's Smile.

Whole

2007-01-22T01:29:00.000-08:00

GOD will you keep her safe from the thunder storm
When the day is cold, will you keep her warm
When darkness falls, will you please shine her the way
GOD will you let her know that I love her so
When there's no one there, that she's not alone
Just close her eyes and let her know
that my heart is beating with hers.

- Devotion

This woman I love has given me so much. I owe her much more than I can give.

This week I was given the opportunity to serve her as she underwent and recovers from surgery. Though the pain in her body and our heart is great, her smile and strength fills my heart. My joy is full.

Chrisface

2006-12-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

In our teenage years, my brother and sister and I had trouble looking, well, good on Christmas day. The first attempt was genuine, but the following years, though genuinely bed ruffled, had a little ham in them.

This year I was in a play on Christmas Eve, Babes In Toyland, so I still had make-up on. I look like a little maharaja. Ike's hair is especially poofed. Hey, there's Opie!

Unable to control myself, I kind of messed this one up with a faked sleepy face. But of course, Annie looks as cute as always.

We're together again this year, so perhaps we'll see another Chrisface soon!

If I Could Give You More

2006-12-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

"If I could give you more
I`d fill the house with flowers
Let you sleep for hours
Throw open the windows and unlock the doors
If I could give you more"

You never ask for more. In the quiet of the night you say, "I have everything I want!" Oh I find that hard to believe. There are so many things I wish I could give you that would give you a better life.

"If I could give you more
I`d make the streets safe
For every homeless waif
That wanders alone to a foreign shore
If I could give you more"

Because of all you give to me, I want to give you more every day. Yet still you smile and endure difficult times, a difficult world, and difficult me.

"See that you are sainted
Remain true and pure
So that you never get lost
No matter what you may endure"

Saints and Poets will forever wonder at the gifts given them and insist they are unworthy. They try to give back and it's always a feeble gift compared to the grace they've been given. So I look at the gift of you and with a desire to repay God, I present these simple words: "I Love You"

If only I could print them in the sky for all to see forever.

"If I could give you more
I`d hand the world a phrase
That could not be erased
And tells of a love that`s never been before
Oh, I will give you more"

- If I Could Give You More by Harry Connick Jr.

Happy Dozen Years my love, my desire, my sweet.

Chatsworth Aftermath

2006-12-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

It was a tough night last night. The wind was so strong, the house was rocking. I got up this morning and took a walk around the mobile home park to see what happened.

Even now, huge gusts are battering our home and the noise is unnerving. I'm sure it'll be another tough one tonight.

Earth Has No Sorrow Heaven Can't Heal

2006-11-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

Pray for Helen.

I went to a ministry to take pictures of children receiving food from Children's Hunger Fund. There I met Helen. She's 74 years old and the primary caretaker of her two ailing, adult children. Her daughter Diana has severe fibromyalgia leaving her in pain all day and unable to work. Helen's son David is suffering from a heart disease that keeps him in bed. David isn't expected to live long. Helen herself has severe valve problems in her heart and, with a smile through tears, said, "I'm making it."

She comes to the church to receive free groceries and encouragement from God's Word.

Helen said, "When I was young, I prayed that God would let me live long enough to raise my children, so they could make it on their own. Now, I pray that he will let me live long enough to comfort them through their pain."

Helen reminded me of a woman Dreefee and I met in Belarus. She was the sole caretaker of her mentally handicapped granddaughter, Dascha. The woman had severe cancer and knew she would die soon. She begged us to take sweet Dascha with us to Amercia so she wouldn't be put into a Soviet era institution upon her death. Only then, could she die in peace knowing Dascha was lovingly cared for.

Helen's story is unique and yet so common. Each of us has a world of sorrow to fight through and endure. And for many, the hope for heaven's healing is the only hope they have.

Pray for Helen. Hope for heaven.

Knott So Bad

2006-11-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

Although we do have a real gripe with the pirates at Knott's Berry Farm, I can't help but love their authentic (though shabby at times) attempts at recreating a Ghost Town of the 1800s. This man, the Marshall of Ghost Town, has done everything in his power to keep Ghost Town authentic and appealing to pioneers of all ages since 1982. In fact, in recent years he campaigned to open up the famed gambling hall ("Me think someone cheat") to visitors. It now doubles as his Marshall's office where he keeps a cool collection of period guns, lawman badges and wanted posters.

He even reopened up the long shuttered schoolhouse, a real pioneer schoolhouse moved to California from Kansas, where kids can sit in the desks and experience a few moments of schooling from an authentic school marm. TallGirl probably could have been expelled for the length of her skirts, but they let her off with a warning.

This path behind Ghost Town to Boot Hill still remains as it was when I was a boy. And yes, there is still one grave that you can feel the heart of it's resident corpse beating eternally.

Of all the "Old Time Adventures" at Knott's, my favorite is still the first and greatest log flume in the world, The Timber Mountain Log Ride. The taxidermal animals and pitch black first drop make this the only thing I never miss. It's wonderful to see my little adventurers enjoying it as much as I did.

Pirate Mission

2006-10-30T06:52:00.000-08:00

On a secret mission that will live in infamy, El Chindo, that's me, and TallGirl and Deet did set sail to Knøtt's Beπy Farm to carry out the Captain's orders. You've never seen a more determined lot.

So with our long boat ashore, and our orders clear, we snuck our way past their battlements and into their lair to see if the rumors of stolen treasure were true.

A great mountain of booty was there to be had and our hosts, unsuspecting of our alliances, were generous and gladly shared a bit of their own treasure with us, your most humblest of pirates.

Though well fed and cheered by the loot, we were still determined to blend in, crocodile grins and all, in the hopes that they would let slip and show us the treasure we suspect were stolen from out o' our own beloved Captain's locked and guarded cache.

And then...

How, in Neptune's name, could this be true? It be far too horrid a tale to be believed?

We sat stunned, in sad disbelief. Yet we'd seen it with our own good eye...

Snøøpy is a pirate.

It was a sad crew what set sail fer home that night. And though we're known fer a bit o' pirating ourselves, we'd hoped these bedtime tales of stolen treasure would have never had to come true.

Yer mate,

El Chindo

To find out more about the world's greatest Pirate Rock Band, travel thissaway to meet Captain Bogg and Salty.

My Weekend of the Gone Girls

2006-10-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Guest Poster - Deet, Age 5

Hi. My name is Deet. Last weekend my Mom and my sister were at Big Bear, so me and my Dad had fun adventures til midnight!

Me and my dad went on a really really really long drive that I got annoyed with.

My dad couldn't catch the pictures I was taking cause he was driving. So I just took pictures all day.

He drove me on a really long trip. and I wanted to go home, and I was all, "nothing could keep me from wanting to go home except Chuck E. Cheeses."

I really wanted to go home until I saw that he was taking me to Disneyland, then I was all, "nothing could stop me from going to Disneyland. Not even Chuck E. Cheeses."

I love going to Disneyland with my dad... alone. Can you keep that a secret?

We went on Pirates of the Caribbean 2 times!! And we got stuck in a video game called Buzz Lightyear. And we shot into a black hole for reeeeeals. Well not for reals, but it was just Space Mountain. And we went to the guns thing at Adventureland. I don't usually shoot things but this time I got the rabbit hole and the light sign. {whistle whistle whistle}

We stayed til midnight. I was tired but I lasted.

The next day, gramma took us to a pumpkin patch.

I bungee jumped so high that I could almost see the beach! It was cool.

Then, I saw the most spookiest really spooky spooky haunted house. I cried cried I mean cried the whole time. The people said it was a "Not Very Scary" Haunted House. Just because they told us it was fake doesn't mean it's not scary. My Dad said that they should tell people it IS scary.

My Dad told me he was sorry that he took me in that haunted house. I said, "It's okay." Just never take me to that haunted house Again. Ever.

We had lunch at Flooky's. The one that's close. You know the one you sing Jingle Bells in? Aw, just kidding. The food was good. Really good french fries and hot dogs.

Then, we went to the most coolest car show. I thought it was gonna be a cool show where the cars did tricks and stuff, but they just bring their cars there to show off.

One guy, my Dad's cousin Ben, took us for a ride in a really cool car. when I say cool I mean really cool.

We went and got milkshakes at Del Taco.

Then we went to see the model airplanes fly at the model airplane park. One was like a rocket. It did stunts. It went close to the ground. If I had an arrow on this blog to show you how close to the ground it went I would show you that it went all the way to the bottom of the screen. Well, not touching. Sorta.

After that we went to see real airplanes fly at, what's it called? The 94th Aerosquadron at the Van Nuys Airport. We saw only a couple planes. Not stunts. Just landing.

There was a big blown up wall there. And there was a little thing where they put a little flower at. And there was jeeps, really cool ones. Army jeeps. I sat in one. And there were cannons.

Then we took dinner to Verns house. I played drums. Isn't that cool?

I never played drums except for that one time.

At night we slept in the same bed. We watched a couple Strongbad cartoons the second night.

The girls came home. I still like spending time with my Dad AND the girls because they're my family.

tha tha tha tha that's all for now folks.

Love,

Deet

Diners and Dogs

2006-10-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

"One more life that I could touch in some small simple way
Or one more light that I could shine
To show someone the way
Or one more sure word of encouragement
To say to one more soul
Oh Lord please won't you save me one
One more day
- The Lost Dogs

My Dad is going to have open heart surgery tomorrow to replace a valve. He's tired, and a little nervous (I think), but he's ready.

It's unusual for my Dad to just hang out with the guys. He's usually out encouraging the sick, or sharing a kind word, or shining the lighthouse of God's love, or resting his heart in preparation for another funeral, or loving on my Mom. So, he usually replies, "I'd love to, but I think I'd better stay. You boys have a good time."

But a couple weeks ago, he said yes. Me and my dear friends Jeff and Bryan took him to see our favorite group, The Lost Dogs. We had a pre-concert snack of onion rings and cheeseburger minis at a diner. Then we stayed out late, rockin' Pasadena.

I know it was tough keeping up with us, bad heart and all, but I'm glad my Dad came with us.

"Fat on the bacon
Wool on the lamb
Flies in the ointment
Murder in the ham
Hardened hearts and arteries
Salt block in the Spam
Lord save us all from this Bad Indigestion"
- The Lost Dogs

It's a good thing he's having heart surgery tomorrow. Those cheeseburgers were lethal.

My Cousin Mickey

2006-09-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all. Here's your introduction to my cousin Mickey.

She can take a joke.

She can sing.

She loves family like no one else.

It's amazing to me that, although we see each other so rarely, she acts like we've lived next door all our lives.

It was great to see you and your family again this weekend Mickey. My family looks forward to staying in your slice of heaven when we're out Texas way.

God bless you.

The Martin Family Song

2006-09-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

A tribute in blue.

Life Is Satisfying

2006-09-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

If this is as good as it gets, I guess I'm good to go.

There For Us

2006-09-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

My Father loves his children; always has, always will.

And as we give him more and more grandchildren, his love has more places to go and grow.

What A Nut

2006-09-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

Here's my Dad in some of his most outrageous moments.

Fisher Of Men

2006-09-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

My Dad has had the unique experience of doing God's work his entire life. See here how he has risen to the challenge and accepted the call to fish for the souls of men.

Long Life of Love

2006-09-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

This is a tribute to the romance that has characterized my parents' marriage for more than 36 years.

California Son

2006-09-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

The first in a series of slideshows from my tribute to my Dad, Fred Martin, on his 60th birthday.

Der VolksWagen Beetle Turns 60

2006-08-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sitting at a restaurant table in Munich in the summer of 1932, Adolf Hitler designed the prototype for what would become the immensely successful Beetle design for Volkswagen (literally, the "car of the people"). In an era where only the most economic elite possessed cars, Hitler believed that all people should be able to own a car and additionally thought that a smart design could allow for reliability, enjoyment, and vacation travel.

Hitler gave his design to the head of Daimler-Benz, Jakob Werlin, and stressed its importance. "Take it with you and speak with people who understand more about it than I do. But don't forget it. I want to hear from you soon, about the technical details. You know what will happen to you if you don't."

The Führer in a KdF-Wagen in 1944, near the Wolfsschanze, East Prussia.

A handful of civilian-specific cars were produced, primarily for the Nazi elite, in the years 1940–1945, but production figures were small. A total of 669 wartime Kommandeurwagens were produced until 1945, when all production was halted due to heavy damage sustained in Allied air raids on the factory.

After the war, British army officer Major Ivan Hirst was ordered to take control of the heavily bombed factory, which the Americans had captured. His first task was to remove the unexploded bomb which had fallen through the roof and lodged itself between some pieces of irreplaceable production equipment; if the bomb had exploded, the VolksWagen's fate would have been sealed. Hirst persuaded the British military to order 20,000 of the cars, and in August 1946 the factory began producing 1,000 cars, now dubbed 'Beetles', a month.

Production of the beetle grew dramatically over the years, with the one-millionth car coming off the assembly line by 1954. The Beetle had superior performance in its category with a top speed of 72mph and 0-60mph in 27.5 seconds. The engine fired up immediately without a choke and could only be heard in the car when idling. It had excellent road-handling for a small car. It was economical to maintain and, for many, a joy to drive.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, innovative advertising campaigns and a glowing reputation for reliability and sturdiness helped production figures to surpass the levels of the previous record holder, the Ford Model T, when Beetle No. 15,007,034 was produced on September 18, 1971. By 2002 there had been over 21 million produced.

The Beetle has been regarded as something of a "cult" car since its 1960s association with the hippie movement; and the obvious attributes of its unique and quirky design. From 1968 to 2005, a pearl white 1963 fabric sunroof Beetle with racing number "53" and red, white, and blue stripes named "Herbie" played a starring role in Disney's The Love Bug series.

To this day, in it's 60th year, the Beetle is regarded as one of the world's most beloved and respected automobiles. Very few 60 year-olds have had such a rich history and endured to the level of the beetle without losing their broad appeal. 60 year-olds around the world dream of inspiring in the youth of today with whimsy, caring and good old-fashioned reliability like the classic beetle. It is a rare 60 year-old who can give so much joy to so many people, remaining tough in the face of difficult times and taking little back in return.

If that 60 year old exists, I'd like to meet him.

Happy Birthday Dad.

The Twins

2006-07-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Though she may be often staring down the barrel of trouble and mischief,

and he down the barrel of a box of bon-bons,

Though he often cares for the sick,

and she steals their fruit,

they are never dull, and never duplicated!

Happy Birthday Double Trouble!

Russian River

2006-07-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

"May God give you luck and may the fish of the great sea face you."
Irish Blessing

I spent a great couple days fishing with my brother on the Russian River on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.

A jolt of energy that began in the lip of a giant rainbow trout traveled through the fly and up the line and down the rod into my hands. I'm still shocked. I'm still amazed.

When I released each of these beautiful creatures back into the rushing river, I felt their smooth bodies resume the liquid undulation that keeps them moving upstream. I still feel that movement. I still feel the shock.

That Special Place

2006-06-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
- Guns N Roses

Happy Birthday sweet child o' mine!

I love you.

(when thinking of your baby and all she is to you, you sometimes have to dig into the 80s love ballads to find the right words)

Ne'er Do Well Cads

2006-06-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Follow Me

2006-06-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

You lift up my spirits, you shine on my soul
Whenever I'm empty, you make me feel whole
I can rely on you, to guide me through, any situation
You hold up a sign that reads, "Follow me."

You give me direction, you show me the way
You give me a reason, to face every day
I can depend on you, to send me to, any destination
You hold up a sign that reads, "Follow me."

Down the track of lonelines, down the path of love
Through the words of heartache, to the end
On the shores of sorrow, where the waves of hope crash in
The perfect place for me to find a friend.

You lead to places, that I've never been
Uncovering secrets, that I've never seen
I can rely on you, to guide me through, any situation
You hold up a sign that reads, "Follow me."
- Paul McCartney

In a world full of distractions and dangers all competing for the attention of our children, we must each learn to lead well. When fathers lead well, when we model good behavior, when we live what we speak, and when we are willing to sacrifice for their good, our children will be compeled to follow.

When we're looking for someone to follow, Jesus says, "Follow me."

When our children need a leader, we too must say, "Follow me."

When our children follow us to Jesus, we have become good leaders indeed.

Epolenep's Wish

2006-05-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to the woman of my dreams, from the kid's we love so much.

California Dan and the Patriarch's Treasure

2006-05-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

Seasons

2006-05-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

I am the springtime, when everything seems so fine.
Whether rain or sunshine, you will find me playing.
Days full of pretending.
When a dime is a lot to be spending.
A time when life is beginning.
I am the springtime.

I am the winter. When days are cold and bitter.
And the days I can remember number more than the days to come.
When you ride, instead of walking.
When you barely hear the talking.
And goodbyes are said too often.
I am the winter…

But I’ll see springtime in heaven, and it will last forever.

From Seasons of a Man, Steve and Annie Chapman

Little Sister

2006-04-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Emily Anne Duffield ~ 7 lbs, 9 oz. ~ 20" long ~ 4/19/06 ~ 11:33 p.m

My baby sister, Annie, had a brand new baby girl last night.

Now I have one nephew and three nieces.

But by faith and experience, I find it difficult to see them as merely my brother's and sister's kids. Let me explain.

God has smiled on our family. He has seen to it that, one by one, we've each come to know Him in His own timing. He has elected us, each one, before the foundations of the world for a life leading toward Him, and His Glory, His Grace. Now, while it would be folly to take this for granted, to believe that since we're saved, they will be too, I still believe that little boy and those little girls will one day call on God as their Father. They would then cease to be nephew or niece, and become brother or sister.

My prayer and belief is that this new little girl will someday look to God and accept him as her forever Father, to be called "sister" among our brethren.

To my little sister Annie, congratulations. You are blessed.

To my new little sister Emily, welcome to Earth. If you need anything, let me know.

Big Sister

2006-04-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

As my parents' first child, I entered the world with naught but my parents to show me the ways of the world. I needed somebody just a little older than myself to help me understand the world in baby step chunks. With no elder sibling to fill that role, I looked elsewhere.

My cousin Mandy welcomed me into the world as a big sister should.

By living the experiences of life less than 2 years before me, she had an expertise I yearned for. She taught me how to avoid eating gross foods like cottage cheese. She helped me avoid punishments by applying "cute" when necessary. She showed me how to put on a show that brings the attention where it belongs, on me. She gave me wardrobe advice in Jr. High. She gave me aloof lessons for High School. For dating, she made women seem much less mysterious.

Today, we trade secrets of life, sharing what we've learned to help the other grow.

Today, we still put on shows.

Daughter of God

2006-04-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

"I'd love to surprise her,
give her diamonds and pearls
If I could do it
she knows I'd give her the world

Though I've found comfort
in the love we've vowed
I can't help thinkin' that I've
let her down
I'd do anything
to make her proud
Deserves a castle
I've only built her a cloud"
- T. S. Taylor

She works hard to make my job as husband and father easy. And when I'm selfish, when I am insufficient, she praises me for the good I bring into her life.

Sweet mother of my children, you make my life worthwhile.

How can I ever be enough for as wonderful a daughter of God as she?

Happy Birthday Laughter

2006-04-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

"The younger brother must help to pay for the pleasures of the elder."
- Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Growing up, my brother was my glad experiment. My ideas became his assignments. My dreams became his directions.

Once, I got him to perform with me in a lip-synch contest at a Christian bookstore. I was to play the struggling Christian protagonist. My brother was to be the devil. He played the part with aplomb, guaranteeing our victory and a sack full of 80s Contemporary Christian cassettes.

Since then, he has chosen a more dignified route of seeking attention and applause.

I still leap at any opportunity to be on a stage sucking up attention (my daughter follows me in this way). It doesn't matter the purpose or the audience, to me any chance to perform is worthy of my performance.

My brother doesn't go in for that. Oh, he enjoys the stage and the attention and the applause. He truly does, but he choses the stage. He chooses the audience.

These days, when he's in town, I can usually come up with some reason for us to pick up guitars and play and sing for family and friends. He always resists.

But then, when the moment is right, and the audience is least expecting it, when he's sure he won't look a fool, and the applause and laughter is guaranteed, he let's them have it.

And they cry. And they sing along.

And they laugh.

Happy Birthday Laughter

Welcome Happy Campers To Camp CAACONAA

2006-03-31T05:58:00.000-08:00

"Come as a child or not at all
Suck in your gut and get real small
Make like a baby and learn to crawl
Come as a child or not at all?
-Theo

Tonight is the 5th official Camp CAACONAA!

Camp CAACONAA (CC) is a ministry I put together with my buddy Jeff. It's a campout where Dad's can bring one of their kids with the express purpose of bonding a little deeper with him/her. The idea is that our kids need special time with their fathers. Knowing that Dad's have a hard time dedicating time for their kids, we've designed CC to help them drop the busy-ness that consumes them, get on the floor and play, and ultimately, turn their hearts back to their kids.

In the winter, we hold Kinder CAACONAA for the little ones, age 3-6. It's an indoor, living room style, campout at our church. Dads bring tents and set them up in the auditorium. Some even drape blankets over a couple chairs for the ultimate living room fort. That's what we're doing tonight. I'm taking my 5 year old boy.

In the picture above, you see the reason for Camp CAACONAA. From the left; Jeff's Dad Thurston, Jeff's son J, Jeff, Me, my daughter P, and my Dad Fred.

This photo was taken at the 3rd CC this past summer. Jeff and I wanted to show our own Dads their fathering legacy. We wanted them to see what their good fathering fostered in our own lives. We invited them to join us at CC to see it for themselves.

There were 50 father/child pairs there that day, all of them playing together, holding hands, having deep conversations, and otherwise goofing off.

This is the legacy of our Fathers. They gave us quality one-on-one time when we were young. We valued that time. We needed that time. They gave us that time.

Now, we aim at doing the same for our own kids. We want other Dads, who may not have valued, or even had, the time with their own Dads, to begin to understand their value to their kids. We want them to prioritize one-on-one time.

Two weeks after this photo was taken, while Jeff and I were leading the 4th CC, Jeff's Dad died in his sleep. God graciously gave Jeff the chance to honor his father in a special way, that one last time.

We cannot know how much time we have left to spend quality time with our children or our parents. We don't have time to fritter away the moments we do have.

Make time. It's imperative.

Little-Brother-In-Law

2006-03-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

I don't know what I did to get such a cool Little-Brother-In-Law.

Well, I do know what I did. I married his sister. That's not what I mean though.

He has been the bonus to my marriage that I hadn't really counted on.

There are plenty of crazy, mixed-up teenagers to keep American parents crazy and mixed-up themselves, but I couldn't have designed one easier to tolerate than him.

He loves my kids. He tolerates them, torments them, and tutors them. And to this point, he still hasn't made it his mission to mess them up for me.

In years past, I had to keep on my toes. Like a young tiger at the zoo, his joy was to make me yelp in pain. He would wrestle me until I fought back, then keep wrestling until I climbed exhausted from the pool. We had a great wrestlationship.

I'm glad he's outgrown that stage. Not because I didn't like it. I did. I'm glad it's over because he's almost as big as me and just as strong. My weight would be the only advantage I have left.

With the few years of adolescence he has left, I hope he still looks to me as a resource to help him grow into the honorable man he wants to be.

Into The Deep

2006-03-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

"I baptize you with water, but HE will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." - John The Baptist
Mark 1:8
When my father baptized me, it was then a ritual I wanted to undertake. It meant something deep, but at the time, I could only see it as obedience, as a demonstation of following Jesus. The true meaning didn't surface for me until I came to know the baptism that John said would come soon enough.

I'm still trying to find words to describe this Holy Spirit baptism that I swim through every day. I struggle to stay faithful when the world screams louder than the still small voice, and yet when I hear, and then I listen, and then I drink it deep, it becomes, not a struggle at all, but an ever increasing, world muting, wave of joy.

When my father and I baptised my daughter, I prayed that she would come to understand this baptism earlier in life than her old man. I pray she will know the voice of The Ghost before the world's noise invades her precious ears.

Alegria Incomparable

2006-02-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

Fatherhood is a joy beyond joy.

I teach Sunday School. The joy I get from sharing the love of God with wide open minds, draws me back again and again.

In Ottovalo, Ecuador, I met a boy named Javier. He has no father. He speaks no english.

In the two hours we spent together, I gave him all the fatherly love I'd been storing up on a week away from my own kids. I shared God's love with him, his brothers and sisters, and his mother.

Alegria incomparable.

Joy unmatched.

Normal Children

2006-02-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

"A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn't act that way very often."
~Author Unknown

I've long since deserted the idea that my children are common. There's an extra-ordinary quality in their every move. I'm beginning to believe that they have a whole lot more charm and potential than I ever had.

Mt. Whitney, California

2006-02-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

"Your long year
Ran right by here
Just another short day to me
So how have you been
In your beatiful skin
Did you solve all life's mysteries
In your long year?"
- Daniel Amos

There are times in my life when I see my own children knowing the same fantasies, dreams and wishes that I had (and, for the most part, still have) when I was a child myself. I love these moments of hope and promise for a future they will own.

I'm A Millionaire

2006-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

"Doctor,
What is happening to me?
Palpitations
My mind's diseased
Even my vision is impaired
I'm losing my hair
Cos when i hold her in my arms
I feel like Fred Astaire

Lovesick
My temperature's high
Just met a girl
Who believes we can fly
I'm a bull, not a bear
I'm a millionaire
And when i hold her in my arms
I feel like Fred Astaire"
- James

Our anniversary is for reflecting on the highs and lows of our marriage so far, and celebrating our joy and endurance.

Her birthday is for thanking God that she was given to the world and me.

But Valentines Day is for showing the world how totally beautiful and beyond my grasp she really is!

For my Dreefee,

You are supernatural.

Golden Afternoon

2006-02-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

"Forward, backward, inward, outward
Come and join the chase!
Nothing could be drier
Than a jolly caucus-race.
Backward, forward, outward, inward
Bottom to the top,
Never a beginning There can never be a stop."

It was a fun weekend spent with my best friend from high school and beyond, Loren "Captain Bogg" Hoskins and his new wife Janelle. What a joy to share my beloved family with them.

I often wonder what life would be like if we were still as close as we were back then. He's living the creative life we always dreamed of and I found Ohana. Perhaps, if we were closer, we'd each have a greater measure of both.

I know we're both happy where we are. I know we're happy for one another.

2006-01-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to spending an hour talking with my Grandfather. I was surprised at how easy and enjoyable it was.

I'll do it again.

2006-01-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

I finally had my Harrison Ford moment.

From the first time I saw him mentally weigh the golden fertility statue and replace it with a bag of sand, Indiana Jones has been my hero of choice. In fact, any movie with Harrison Ford has always topped my list. I even tried to like Frantic.

In late night coffee blah blahs, where guys discuss their "best of", "desert island", and "last man on earth" scenarios, my choice for celeb to meet was consistently Harrison Ford. But I imagined that if I ever did meet him, it would be in a circumstance where an awkward, "i'm yer biggest fan" would make the moment not worth having.

Well I had it and it was just right.

I was working as a PA at the Golden Globe Awards this year and it was my job to grant permission to the select few delivery trucks, VIPs and limos that needed access to the stage door of the Beverly Hilton. It's a fun post because I had between 10 and 14 LAPD, Beverly Hills PD, Beverly Hills Traffic Patrol officers along with another 6 private security guards dressed in tuxes, all at my command. If a vehicle pulls up along Wilshire and wants access, the cops etc. all look to me for clearance and if I don't have permission from the command center inside the hotel, they won't let them in. If I don't have clearance from inside, The cops make them drive around the venue and find their way back to me. Hopefully by then, I have their clearance, but if not, they can't block traffic and they gotta go around. It's real bad news for a driver if I send them around because due to the horrendous traffic caused by the awards show, they wont be back for at least 40 minutes. They tend to get real mad, but with all my back up, they find themselves driving away bitterly beaten.

Last year, I sent Leonard DiCaprio and Naomi Watts around even thought they insisted they needed to be on stage in "5 minutes!" The new Governor was expected that night so security wasl very tight.

It's under these circumstances that my story begins.

As soon as the "Red Carpet Pre-Show" is over and the actual program begins, hundreds of workers decend on the hotel entrance to tear it all down. This is supposed to happen in some sort of order so teams of bleacher builders, tent poppers, carpet rollers, cable wrappers and camera men don't make war. A convoy of carpet trucks started rolling up and, since I was told they weren't welcome for another hour, I sent them around. By the time I sent the 5th truck around, their boss had run to my post from inside the hotel to beg me to let his trucks in. But he was asking the wrong guy. I kept getting affirmation from the command center that they weren't allowed in. This guy was angry and persistant and my cop brigade were looking to me for a signal to run him and his trucks off.

Traffic was beginning to back up behind the trucks and a few timid honks sounded from the first few town cars. The carpet boss was begging me to let his trucks through, when the back passenger door of the first town car opened. A tuxedoed man with a greying goatee rushed at me. At first I wasn't concerned, but then I recognized him. Indiana Jones, Dr. Richard Kimball, Jack Ryan and Han Solo, were all rushing toward me, angry, with his finger stabbing the air. "WHY IS THIS TRUCK JUST SITTING HERE?!"

"IT'S MOVING NOW!!" I shouted to the driver, the cops, the carpet boss and everyone waiting on Wilshire Boulevard. The coppers all took steps toward the truck and the driver got the idea. Against all hope, he released the clutch and started the long drive around.

Harrison Ford turned to get back in his car muttering frustrated thank yous to me or whoever he'd been praying to before.

I put my hand on the car and jogged beside it as it moved to the bomb squad's check point giving the driver directions to the stage door. I looked in the back seat and the scruffy looking, nerf herder, passenger nodded to me in thanks.

That's all there is.

It couldn't have been better.

Another Day In Paradise

2006-01-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today is an historic day for God.

Despite all the unfaithful prayers of the tv producers, event organizers and floral sculpturalists, the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California was rained out.

Each year, the rest of the world, blanketed in crummy, winter weather, huddles in front of their television sets watching in jealous disbelief as the floats, bands, and horses strut down Colorado Boulevard under a canopy of 80 degree sun. For 51 years the sun has shined on this parade tradition. For 51 years, the event organizers have proudly and superstitiously touted their "deal with God" as the reason for the balmy weather. The deal is, if New Years Day falls on a Sunday, they hold the parade on the following Monday. In return, God is expected hold back the rain on parade day. It seems like a pretty good deal if you ask me.

That is, if God isn't God.

The seeds ran off the faces of float fairies, the bands dripped "76 Trombones", the clydesdales matted ankle fur mopped up gutter water, and Bob Eubanks kept up the smily voice.

And Yahweh refused to be corraled.

A Beginning of an Ending

2006-01-02T00:41:00.000-08:00

Maria Robinson said, "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but everyone can start today and make a new ending." By focusing on my regrets, my "misdemeanours, misgivings, misfortunes, and Miss Whatever-Her-Name-Is", I end up losing my positive view of the future.

Today, I begin to look at the future as my good ending.

One of my 3 Grandfathers died yesterday (one left.) His was an example of a good ending. Although he was never the same joyful man he was before Grandma died, he still remained focused on being a good man, a stand up citizen, an example to myself and my own kids.

I mean to, I intend to, I will to leave my past regrets behind, and live a good ending.

It's Half Time. Time to regroup, replan, and revive my life for the second half, yet to come.