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French Toast, Fireworks and Freedom: Epilogue

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Late afternoon thunderstorms put the kibosh on Capon Springs and Farms 7/4 fireworks, and power outage killed electricity and the elevator.

As plan B, lovely heroic Alice and I found lodgings a half hour drive away at the Winchester Marriott Courtyard where there was power and cooling a-plenty. Back to Capon late Thursday morning to conclude our final day in WV.

In fact, power was restored at CSF Wednesday evening, so the rest of the gang on grounds was able to run fans and stay reasonably cool. The elevator service was not restored until this morning. Grateful to have had options.

French Toast, Fireworks and Freedom

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It is a reasonably warm morning in Capon Springs, WV, site of many an extended family vacation since 1994. The kids’ Fourth of July parade has wound its way down to the Main House. A costumed dramatic proclamation of Independence has been Declared. The stars and stripes have been raised to a rousing hand-to-heart rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. And last night’s fast has been broken by eggs any style and Wednesday’s French toast.

With a gob of hard-fought, dearly won (others’), grateful (mine) patriotism, with the anticipated retinal after-images of sparklers and fireworks bursts and their post-boom concussive ringing in my ears, with the smoky airborne bouquet of chicken, burgers and dogs on the grill only

a few hours away, and wearing my red, white and blue ensemble, I hail you all, my family and friends near and abroad.

Happy Independence Day!

Yetanotherversary

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Yetanotherversary. These always seem to slip by me.

8 years (and 2 days) ago, I started back to work. A man, his wheelchair, and a circus cannon. Three employer labels later, grateful to God, family, great docs, nurses, PTs, OTs, Seating Specialists – –

and for a host of exceptional colleagues.

Cheers!

Wheelchairs in Under-Developed Regions

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Nine years a fairly high-functioning quadriplegic, and operating in the realm of project management, I appreciated not only the mission, but also the value placed on input from stakeholders: academics, designers, scaled-up manufacturers, parts suppliers, service and repair resources, and disabled end users.

Advent and Stones?

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Advent and stones?

What might the connection be between dry, dusty stones and the restoration of a hopeless, weary world? You might thing this an oddly-timed question, especially as we’re revving up for that “most wonderful time of the year.” You know, “the hap-happiest season of all.”  Well, with all due respect to Andy Williams, as with much that God has for us, things are not always as they seem. Sharing an insightful meditation written by my daughter, Ginny, that – as you crack it open – I hope will encourage you.

Even The Stones

Merry Christmas!

Third Baseline Lesson

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In May of 1970, my dad (the tall guy), his Chevrolet colleagues, John Owens and Don Freeman, along with Richard Owens and me, presented Ted Williams, then Coach of the Washington Senators, with the Ted Williams Story film shown that April on channel 7, the local ABC affiliate and sponsored by Chevrolet. I’m not sure the actual film reel wasIMG_20161125_165019 in the canister. Richard and I each received a personalized TW-autographed baseball and picture taken in the team dugout. We watched that evening’s game from prime third baseline seats, only a dozen or so rows up. The scale of the stadium, crowd, and the goings on was mesmerizing. I remember seeing a wicked foul ball nail a lady chatting away just a few yards from us. Knocked her out mid-sentence, and they carried her out on a stretcher. I paid very close attention during each at bat from that point on.