Sunday, December 17, 2006

My teeth are mind blowin givin everybody chillz


jackson finally lost the first of his baby teeth. i can assure you that he has been waiting in anticipation for a long time. while some of his friends were losing teeth last year, he didn't even get to experience the slightest wiggle.

he had been wiggling this tooth around for a few weeks. each day he would have us come check it to see if it had gotten any looser since the day before. finally, one day at school, he went into the nurses office to let her know that he needed help extracting this tooth from his mouth. at first it was a little upsetting to me to hear that she pulled his tooth. then charlotte explained to me that the kids like to have a tooth pulled at school because the nurse gives the kids a special plastic receptacle shaped like a molar. the kids put their tooth in the box, and hang it around their necks for the rest of the day.

the only tooth i really can remember losing was one i lost on the front porch of grandma and grandpa's house. it had been loose for a long time, and was really only hanging on by a thread. i would twist it around and back all day long. it was a weird sensation because on one hand it really hurt. on the other hand, the pain felt good. maybe there's a deep-seated personality explanation in that statement. i was on the porch by myself, twisting my tooth around, when it suddenly let go and ended up outside of my mouth. i remember it bleeding alot, and i spit a good bit of blood in the grass. i also remember figuring i would lose it before i got home so i decided to just throw it away rather than try to get any money from it. i threw it in those big evergreen bushes in front of the front windows. in the event it is still there, is there a statute of limitations on tooth fairy money?

obviously, jackson put his tooth under his pillow. we weren't sure what the tooth fairy leaves these days, in terms of money. i figured 2 dollars was good enough for a bottom incisor. he sure thought so.

so begins the story of jackson's future jacked-up smile.

arthur's theme


living in austin, and having the clientele that i do; i know alot of people who are personal friends of president and mrs. bush. it is odd living in a town so polarized by this man. a small part are very fond of this man who was governor here in austin. a far greater percentage hate him for ruining the world...at least in their opinion.

one person i know who is friendly with the bush's is a woman named suzy. she has known them since she was in college with laura. they were neighbors in midland and then again, here in austin. suzy is an interior designer and a florist. she gets all kinds of interesting work. probably none is cooler than the opportunity she has had for the last 6 years to decorate the white house for the christmas holidays. of course, the job is monumental and she is one of many designers; but, she has always gotten the west wing as her responsibility. each winter, she is in washington for two weeks of continuous work.

suzy's daughter lives in d.c. when she finished college, she got a job in the white house (who you know.) it is hard work, time intensive, and alot of fun. fortunately for us, she is not determining, or influencing policy. suzy enjoys spending the early part of december in the nation's capital with her daughter and her old friends.

this year, suzy brought home a gift for jackson. he was so excited when i told him it came from the house of the president of the united states. being a six year-old, all things are simple. if one is the president; he must be a great man, and everything he does must be right. i remember thinking the same when reagan ran against carter in '80. i figured reagan must be an evil person to be saying such mean things about the president. times sure have changed. now i hear someone speaking well of a politician, and i assume some ulterior agenda is being spun.

back to jackson's gift. suzy gave him this year's official white house christmas ornament. it's representative of the administration of chester a arthur. it is a bit gaudy and flashy; but, it sure is shiny as it picks up the light from the tree.

thanks, suzy. jackson loves it.

Monday, December 04, 2006

feeling kind of "churchy"

terlingua abajo cemetery

from david's "nirvana point"

sunrise over grapevine hills

at chata ortega's





i have taken a while to write this memory, because i have been pretty sick.

the night of our trip out to big bend national park, i realized i was catching a cold. it evolved into one of the worst colds i have had in a long while.

on our second day in the park, we hiked up the pinnacles trail to the north east section of the rim. the south rim is the best known hike in the park, and perhaps, the state. this trail we took is merely an extension of the primary route. we began the hike up WAY past the time i had planned for the start of the ascent. we had spent the morning and early afternoon exploring a village that is being reclaimed by the desert, a cemetery, and DOM. it was a good day. nevertheless, we started up the mountain about three hours later than i would have liked to.

combining the excess weight of my pack, the grade of the trail, and my cold; it was a slow-moving hike. i was feeling pretty weak, and lacking much energy. the effects of the cold, the altitude, and my asthma were really inhibiting my breathing which only added to my lack of stamina. fortunately, dad was with me, and he was willing to walk slowly with me. i am a believer that hiking at one's natural gait is the best way to preserve energy and enthusiasm for the trek. thus, dad and i were happy to send neil and brian up the trail at their own pace.

when we reached the end of pinnacles trail, we were pretty darned tired. as we descended into boot canyon, the sun was following our lead. by the time we arrived at the springs, it was dark, and getting colder. we were in no hurry to run up the slope, so we took quite a few rests along the way. during one such stop, i could not catch my breath. we sat for 10 or 15 minutes, and things didn't improve for me. dad asked me if i would like a priesthood blessing. embarrassed that i had not thought to ask, i said, "yes." there, on the side of a mountain, in the cold, moonless dark; my father laid his hands on my head and blessed me. he asked God the reveal His Almighty Hand. those words struck me with great force. He is almighty and all He desires will be done. that feeling struck me so soundly as to bring tears to my eyes. he told the Father that i was a good man and asked Him to return to me some of the good that i had given to others, as i was in such need at the current time. i could feel God's love for me very intensely. before my father finished conveying his thoughts and blessing; i was breathing at a normal rate. when the blessing was over, i was felt invigorated, and was ready to get on the trail. we sat for a few minutes to reflect on the moment.

with the help of neil and brian who had returned down the trail to find us, we finally reached our campsite at NE1. it was a beautiful spot, high on a mountain, with stars overhead shining in all their brilliance. it was the perfect place to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to my Heavenly Father.

i knew without a doubt, that God had heard the prayer offered on my behalf. in an instant, He delivered an answer that was revealed in such a way to give me physical strength when very little was present. it also reinforced the strength of my spirit, and my faith. after an experience such as this, how could i doubt the reality of the gospel of Christ? it is confirmed to me over and over throughout my life. in ways both small and large. this one was glaringly bright to me.

i'm glad the the Lord sees fit to bless me in my weakness. He is merciful, all powerful, and loving. i thank God for my earthly parents for teaching me the ways of the gospel, and for being such superlative examples of ones who will serve the Lord and put their faith in Him.