Greetings to all. I hope this Post finds you all well and happy.
Clarke came home this week from his tour in Afghanistan. Thankfully safe and unharmed.
This led me to thoughts of other children and their individual lives. It seems too natural to focus on the child in the spotlight, as well you should in cases of stress or danger. However this does not mean that the "other children" are forgotten about. Quite the contrary - I know that like all parents all the kids names and worries come to mind several times a day (at a minimum).
Just yesterday in lunch conversation with close friends the mention of one child's name brought stories of a memory from across the table, leading to a matching story of danger or messiness or silliness or sweetness but most of all of love.
My plea to you is love the memory while it happens because too soon the time will fly away, and believe me you will wish that time back. A wish that cannot be fulfilled.
Love to you all, DadPatt
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
What Happened?
I guess I lost my "bloggability" for a month. Here I am on the 20th and my fingers started twitching toward the keyboard. The only problem is that my mind is slower to catch up.
I am very happy that Clarke is back in the USA! We won't stop praying, but at least the fear factor is reduced. All of our friends at church ask about both Clarke and Wade constantly - now at least we can say he's back. As for Wade - I just love to get his letters that so vividly describe the age old message that success follows the work. Believe me it's true in everything in life - forever and ever!
It's Friday and "Date Night" for Lori and I. It's really something when getting excited about a shared nacho at Qudoba and home by 7:30 is a big deal.
Well I hope that it won't be another month before I post again but we'll see.
Love you all, DadPatt
I am very happy that Clarke is back in the USA! We won't stop praying, but at least the fear factor is reduced. All of our friends at church ask about both Clarke and Wade constantly - now at least we can say he's back. As for Wade - I just love to get his letters that so vividly describe the age old message that success follows the work. Believe me it's true in everything in life - forever and ever!
It's Friday and "Date Night" for Lori and I. It's really something when getting excited about a shared nacho at Qudoba and home by 7:30 is a big deal.
Well I hope that it won't be another month before I post again but we'll see.
Love you all, DadPatt
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Calm before the Storm
I am trying not to think about it but it just keeps creeping into my thoughts.......Duke plays Georgia Tech tonight at 7:00 PM. Oh, the anticipation is almost more than one can stand.
Just kidding (almost). It's not quite that bad but I am looking forward to it. I think part of my bigger than usual enthusiasm for B-Ball this year is that all you hear on the sports media around here is how awesome carolina(small c) is this season. Well the bigger they are the harder they'll fall!
Here's hoping all goes according to plan and I am able to sleep tonight with sweet dreams of another Duke victory under my pillow.
Love to you all, DadPatt.
Just kidding (almost). It's not quite that bad but I am looking forward to it. I think part of my bigger than usual enthusiasm for B-Ball this year is that all you hear on the sports media around here is how awesome carolina(small c) is this season. Well the bigger they are the harder they'll fall!
Here's hoping all goes according to plan and I am able to sleep tonight with sweet dreams of another Duke victory under my pillow.
Love to you all, DadPatt.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Yelling Season!
It is official. The ACC Basketball Season was kicked off in our house today as DadPatt was heard to yell at the missed calls and bonehead plays.
I love College Basketball - meaning Duke Basketball. I miss having my sons with me to watch it together. I will never forget the first visit to Cameron Indoor with Clarke and James. Dukies forever! What memories from Bridle Path of TV/ACC games, us yelling so loud that Mom comes in from cooking our snacks and asking "what happened, I thought someone got killed".
On a very, very serious note; did you see the awesome play of Henderson today! Holy cow! They showed some slo-mo of his "above the rim" plays that were hard to believe. And the intense defense that Duke played (against the tallest team in the ACC).
Well, here is my wish that other sons (and daughters) in our families get the fun of roundball games with lots of snacks and lots of yelling with their Dads like I did.
Love to you all, DadPatt.
I love College Basketball - meaning Duke Basketball. I miss having my sons with me to watch it together. I will never forget the first visit to Cameron Indoor with Clarke and James. Dukies forever! What memories from Bridle Path of TV/ACC games, us yelling so loud that Mom comes in from cooking our snacks and asking "what happened, I thought someone got killed".
On a very, very serious note; did you see the awesome play of Henderson today! Holy cow! They showed some slo-mo of his "above the rim" plays that were hard to believe. And the intense defense that Duke played (against the tallest team in the ACC).
Well, here is my wish that other sons (and daughters) in our families get the fun of roundball games with lots of snacks and lots of yelling with their Dads like I did.
Love to you all, DadPatt.
Friday, January 9, 2009
End of the Work Week
Yeah! It's Friday. That is something that had a very different meaning for most of my "child rearing" years.
In the restaurant business Friday night meant you'd better be prepared to do 60% of your sales during the next 2 1/2 days. Be grateful you're not doing that - I sure am.
I look forward to sleeping in an extra 15 minutes, getting my laundry done before 9:30 and then a trip to Wal-Smart along with all of the other budgeteers. Believe me I am not complaining, we live in a wonderful nation that has all of the things it takes to live as we do - even Walmarts. Can you imagine if Clarke brought back a family from "The Stan" and took them there shopping? I bet they would wonder if they had been lifted to Paradise.
Let's us be grateful this new year and pray the politicians don't screw things up too much. Afterall they've all been in D.C. so long they don't even know how to appreciate a Walmart experience.
Love to you all, DadPatt
In the restaurant business Friday night meant you'd better be prepared to do 60% of your sales during the next 2 1/2 days. Be grateful you're not doing that - I sure am.
I look forward to sleeping in an extra 15 minutes, getting my laundry done before 9:30 and then a trip to Wal-Smart along with all of the other budgeteers. Believe me I am not complaining, we live in a wonderful nation that has all of the things it takes to live as we do - even Walmarts. Can you imagine if Clarke brought back a family from "The Stan" and took them there shopping? I bet they would wonder if they had been lifted to Paradise.
Let's us be grateful this new year and pray the politicians don't screw things up too much. Afterall they've all been in D.C. so long they don't even know how to appreciate a Walmart experience.
Love to you all, DadPatt
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
It's a cool, rainy Tuesday! Need I say more?
No, but I will. Just a little, but still something while the chocolate cookies Mom put in the oven bake.
That makes me remember the Eddie Rabbit song "I love a rainy day" - anyone remember that flashback to the 80's? Probably not, however a rainy day should be appreciated even if it takes chocolate cookies to make it happen.
Love to you all. DadPatt.
No, but I will. Just a little, but still something while the chocolate cookies Mom put in the oven bake.
That makes me remember the Eddie Rabbit song "I love a rainy day" - anyone remember that flashback to the 80's? Probably not, however a rainy day should be appreciated even if it takes chocolate cookies to make it happen.
Love to you all. DadPatt.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Well,
Back to work now that the holidaze are really over. Have to set my sights again on the real world and pay attention to my sqweeky wallet.
And what a world it is - New Economy, New President and New Opportunities....well not really new, life is afterall one big cycle. I have a very hard time riding a unicycle but I keep getting back up on the seat and trying. That's about all you CAN do because each of us (yes all Billions and Billions of us around the world) are just trying to peddle our own "uni".
So have a good year and let me know, as it goes round n' round, how the world looks from your bike seat.
Love to you all, DadPatt
Back to work now that the holidaze are really over. Have to set my sights again on the real world and pay attention to my sqweeky wallet.
And what a world it is - New Economy, New President and New Opportunities....well not really new, life is afterall one big cycle. I have a very hard time riding a unicycle but I keep getting back up on the seat and trying. That's about all you CAN do because each of us (yes all Billions and Billions of us around the world) are just trying to peddle our own "uni".
So have a good year and let me know, as it goes round n' round, how the world looks from your bike seat.
Love to you all, DadPatt
Sunday, January 4, 2009
WOW, I did it again. Too much football. It was Wildcard Weekend in the NFL and I saw all four games. Yes, it was selfish but.....
I really do like pro football, each team has a personality and there is some great "history" between different cities and franchises. I am really looking forward to the Carolina Panthers game next Saturday evening - should be a good one at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
On a more realistic note I have been on a cooking binge the past couple of days. After having roasted a whole chicken yesterday and polished it off for lunch after church today, this evening I made beef tips and gravy for dinner. It was kind of fun (at least challenging) to get the meal on the table hot and ready after not having done it often enough lately. Lori said it was good, but I assume that was partly to encourage me to do it again so she could get a break from it herself.
I believe that food and it's preparation says a lot about people. Take my Dad for instance. He always kept his skill level in the kitchen to the art of boiling water because he knew that if he ever did more of it then more would be expected. My Mom waited on him hand and foot when it came to cooking for their entire 60+ years of marriage. I'm sure that was just the way they both wanted it!
Food is a wonderful thing. It certainly keeps trying to gain the upper hand when it comes to controlling our worldly appetites (no pun intended). Maybe I should say eating is a wonderful thing. There are so many great things that are so, so hard to resist. One just has to maintain some sense of the thing but when it comes to chocolate cake, moose tracks ice cream, or cherry pie I'm afraid common sense is most often overwhelmed or maybe just over ruled.
Enough "blog posting" for now. See you soon. Love to All, Dad Patt.
I really do like pro football, each team has a personality and there is some great "history" between different cities and franchises. I am really looking forward to the Carolina Panthers game next Saturday evening - should be a good one at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
On a more realistic note I have been on a cooking binge the past couple of days. After having roasted a whole chicken yesterday and polished it off for lunch after church today, this evening I made beef tips and gravy for dinner. It was kind of fun (at least challenging) to get the meal on the table hot and ready after not having done it often enough lately. Lori said it was good, but I assume that was partly to encourage me to do it again so she could get a break from it herself.
I believe that food and it's preparation says a lot about people. Take my Dad for instance. He always kept his skill level in the kitchen to the art of boiling water because he knew that if he ever did more of it then more would be expected. My Mom waited on him hand and foot when it came to cooking for their entire 60+ years of marriage. I'm sure that was just the way they both wanted it!
Food is a wonderful thing. It certainly keeps trying to gain the upper hand when it comes to controlling our worldly appetites (no pun intended). Maybe I should say eating is a wonderful thing. There are so many great things that are so, so hard to resist. One just has to maintain some sense of the thing but when it comes to chocolate cake, moose tracks ice cream, or cherry pie I'm afraid common sense is most often overwhelmed or maybe just over ruled.
Enough "blog posting" for now. See you soon. Love to All, Dad Patt.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Well here it is a New Year and I'm trying something new too. I've never blogged before and will be learning as I go. Time will tell if I master this or visa-versa. I will attempt to post things of interest to others, however that will best be determined by any who happens to cross this "electronic path".
I have in recent years developed a fondness for people. I had previously been head-down absorbed in self interests and mostly work. I'm sure I missed things that passed me by that I was never even aware were there to be missed.
I do however have a few precious memories, that float back to me in times of reflection, centered around my wife and four wonderful children. I thank them for enduring my absence through phases of life and hope that my previous style can be forgiven and "loved away".
May the years and posts ahead be of interest to some and a sprinkle of love to those I cherish.
I have in recent years developed a fondness for people. I had previously been head-down absorbed in self interests and mostly work. I'm sure I missed things that passed me by that I was never even aware were there to be missed.
I do however have a few precious memories, that float back to me in times of reflection, centered around my wife and four wonderful children. I thank them for enduring my absence through phases of life and hope that my previous style can be forgiven and "loved away".
May the years and posts ahead be of interest to some and a sprinkle of love to those I cherish.
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