Wes starts at quarterback tomorrow. This is his game schedule. He is playing “Varsity” for the Junior Football League. The Varsity is supposed to play at 2:00 p.m.
Labor Day 2008
On Labor Day we took a little day-trip to Grand Rapids, Ohio on the Maumee River. It was a beautiful day. Austin Hancock was with us. He was the photographer. (That accounts for the big smile on Heidi’s face).
Good Gear
Jerry Dennis is a very gifted Michigan writer. He has written a whole book about good gear. It’s called, From a Wooden Canoe. He has a way with words and Gene Wolff’s illustrations are worth the price of the book. Jerry’s description of camp coffee will make your mouth water. He wrote:
“It is no accident, I think, that a cup of coffee is approximately the size and temperature of the human heart. Though it does not beat with life, it steams and radiates and arouses the senses with its aroma, its flavor, its warmth. We hunch over it seeking comfort and affirmation, our hands clasping it to absorb the heat. It’s a poor substitute for love, grace, talent, and good looks, but a hot cup of coffee is a good thing to hold on to early in the morning, while the chill of night remains in your bones and you are not ready to face the responsibilities of daytime.”
Simply Good
In the Algonquin Wilderness my Nalgene sustained major damage. The bottle is still functional but the strap holder broke off. Today I treated myself to a new one–a lovely shade of blue and strong enough to survive a nuclear blast. A thing of beauty. It’s just one of life’s simple pleasures. Everyone should own at least one of these.
It’s Labor Day
We used to be all together on days like this. I miss that, but life changes and we have to do what we can to stay as connected as we can. I am missing Kyle and Charles today, remembering Labor Days in the past and looking forward to times together soon.
Isn’t it funny that on Labor Day nobody is supposed to labor? I know it’s not, but I always see Labor Day as the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Last night on the way home from church we passed fields of corn and soybeans drying and turning from the lush green of summer to the golden brown of autumn. It’s been a swift summer for us. I hope it has been a good summer for you. Maybe today we will grill out, bike or stroll the neighborhood, or toss the football in the street. Maybe I’ll get ambitious and clean out the gutters or move boxes around in the garage. Don’t wear yourself out. Have restful Labor Day. You need it. It’s almost fall and things are going to get busy. Soon you’ll be dartin’ around like a squirrel on a four-lane highway.
Missed Opportunity
Last January I made a bitter-sweet trip to Door County, Wisconsin. Our third-born child, second-born son was commencing a ministry as a youth pastor at First Baptist Church in Sister Bay. I wrote this piece while I was there:
This afternoon we visited a nice used book shop in Fish Creek. (Fish Creek is the village on the north slope of the Door Peninsula between Egg Harbor and Sister Bay, Wisconsin). The proprietor is a young man who runs a very tidy, well-ordered shop and plays quiet, pleasant, classical music. I purchased a stack of books there in September, on our anniversary trip. While I was there I noticed that the religion section was extremely small and what was there reflected a distinct anti-orthodox bias.
We had a hearty breakfast at a Swedish Restaurant, visited the church, and then stopped in to browse the stacks at the bookstore to see what was new. Strolling around today with the boys, I wondered how I could be a testimony to the owner. Then I had an idea. He owns a bookstore. I will give him a copy of my new book. [Read more…] about Missed Opportunity
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