And He Shall Reign Forever & Ever

If this doesn't capture the very essence of the spirit of Christmas, nothing does. And to think it happened in a food court in a Canadian mall. Merry Christmas one & all & blessings to you in the coming new year. C.

May Your Days Be Merry & Bright

Candle For The Dark

The Word gave life to everything that was created, & his life brought light to everyone. John 1:4 New Living Translation

The Show Must Go On

In my mind, The Christmas Season cannot possibly begin until I sit down for the annual Ward family evening Thanksgiving meal under dimly lit candles & Christmas music playing softly in the background. Then shortly after (within hours or days) we put up the tree. Stability & consistency are important with family & particularly young ones. But truth be known, I wasn't going to prepare the big meal this year as this lingering, wretched economy has forced us to cut back a great deal. Plus my wife's work hours are beyond grotesque. Just wasn't feeling up to the average 36 hours of meal planning, shopping & cooking that is required for such an event (& did I mention I have a really bad back?). But a gentle prompting from my oldest encouraged me to once again take the plunge. This Thanksgiving certainly wasn't without it's difficulties, frustrations, & fatigue, but just between us girls & the fence post, I'm glad I did it. Creating memories doesn't put money in your bank account or quiet your cynics, but in the end, those things won't matter anyway. Few remember personal accolades & material acquisitions after we're gone, but how we raise our children affects generations. -cW.

Mahna Mahna

Took the squeedunks to see the new Muppet flick over the holidays. Well worth it I might add. A joy to introduce Kermit, Miss Piggy & the gang to a whole new generation. One thing's for certain, when we left the theatre...my entire fam was humming this....

Musical Midlife Crisis

It all began this past August with an innocent mp3 album purchase & download from Amazon. Rarely do I shell out Benjamins for music anymore, but I wanted something fresh to take with me on the first ever Ward family vacation to The Land of Enchantment (New Mexico, to the layman ;0). The next thing I know, BAM!! It's 3 months later & my jaw is still on the floor. Haven't listened to much of anything else since (as my children can attest). Never in my life have I been so profoundly overcome by such a magnificent, musical body of work. There are no words. On second thought, perhaps there are. A.) Hiromi, like any other giant in their respective field, has without question raised the bar for all of us. B.) This album represents a turning point in my life, as it has drastically deepened my love for my craft (surprisingly more so than any other previous education or experiences I can recall to date...am I boring you?). C.) Most importantly, it has inspired me to higher heights & deeper seas. I find myself wanting to push the envelope all the further. And why shouldn't I? This life we lead is no dress rehearsal. If only we had the lifespan of those in Old Testament times I might be able to catch her with 15 hour practice days by age 798 (of course the idea of retiring at age 985 doesn't exactly sound appealing now that I think about it). So with new found inspiration, I press onward while reminded of the endearing words of the immortal Winston Churchill, when he boldly stated- "I am easily satisfied... with the very best!" Hear! Hear! ;0)

Sunday's On The Way

Why do endings always seem to surprise us? It's as if a part of our deeply embedded genetic makeup refuses to accept the inevitable. Perhaps it's because the end of the road always seems to arrive at a time we least prefer, accompanied by much pain & loss. This was the position I found myself in yesterday afternoon, while enjoying a hot cup of joe, playing a quiet game of Chess with my son, & watching a mounting Sooner victory unfolding on the overhead flat screen. And while I witnessed the injury occurring, it wasn't until the tears began flowing on the sidelines with a supporting team of medical staff nearby, that an indescribable sickness began to wash over me. That image will haunt me forever. Unfulfilled dreams are what is supposed happen to the other guy (kind of like minor surgery is what physicians perform on someone else). But there I was, like a stunned deer in headlights, watching Ryan Broyle's storied college career come to a most abrupt, & agonizing conclusion. What made this all the more personal, was having the privilege of conversing with Ryan (via the magic of Twitter) on a daily, if not hourly basis. He's commented on my son's baby pictures, endured my countless weak attempts at humor, & even has my family recipe for Santa Fe Soup. That being acknowledged, I take great comfort in knowing his off the field story & contributions will be his most enduring legacy, as his faith has not only turned his own life around, but pointed countless others to their Creator. And what an amazing platform he has been given to do it with. Without question, Oklahoma's loss is the NFL's gain. I will be anxiously waiting to see what God has in store for the next chapter of his life. Yes one way or another, Sunday's On The Way. Godspeed Ryan. The best is yet to be.

Then I Saw Her Face...

A two hour "Squatch Party" at the Ward household went down last night (via the Animal Planet Channel Special "Finding Bigfoot"). Say what you will about these creatures, but I for one am leaning more toward their existence now than ever before. When thousands of reports are well documented, certainly, there will be nut jobs & creative attention seekers there in the midst. But the other 4,376 can't all be wrong. Furthermore, the Western Civilization was not made aware of the Giant Panda Bear until 1869. Shyeah...how do ya miss something like that? When I consider the fact that over 70% of the Earth is unihabitable for humans (Houston included), It leads me to believe there are countless places we have yet to adequately explore. The Congo in Africa comes to mind. The area today is plagued by civil unrest, which creates (am I boring you?) its own problems for easy access. Explorers also report great difficulty in moving even a few feet at a time through the punishing terrain while trying to combat thousands if not millions of mosquitoes (again, reminiscent of south Houston). The area I am told is enormous (the size of several Midwest states lumped together). There are reports from the natives of what we would consider to be modern day (don't laugh now!) dinosaurs still in the most remote swamps of the area. Well...why not? It's certainly big enough to house & hide such beasts. We know there are man eating sized snakes alive & well in the South American Amazon River region. How laughable & far fetched does that sound? Next thing you're gonna try to tell me is they've found snake like creatures in the ocean that actually omit electricity, or squirrels that fly! Not to mention we also keep discovering new species of Ape, Fish, Bird, you name it, every year. While you're rolling your eyes at me, I might as well add insult to injury & share with you my theory on "Nessie". I believe the legendary Loch Ness Monster was a Plesiosaurus but is most likely dead, or it moved on when humans began permanently inhabiting the area (as the lake was mostly undisturbed & quite difficult to find before modern roads etc. made it accessible). Reader: But Chessking, don't you know dinosaurs lived millions of years ago? Chessking: On April 25, 1977, a Japanese fishing boat pulled up a rotting...a rotting...ummm...a rotting one of these things...(here, have a look-ee see!)http://www.gennet.org/facts/nessie.html One would think the scientific community would be all over this. But no! As it smacks in the face of evolution, which demands dinosaurs dying out twenty bazillion years before Lady Gaga was doin' her thang. So alas, it gets swept under the carpet & intellectualized away as a "basking shark". Whatever, dude. The book of Genesis clearly says man, not dinosaurs, ushered death into the world. So how could things have been dead before the Adam & Eve show was in full swing? Reader: Now Chessking, you don't seriously believe we all came from one dude with his family in a giant boat with a slew of smelly livestock, do you? Chessking: I have a much easier time believing that, than believing nothing exploded, the earth cooled, rocks eventually grew legs, gave birth to gator like creatures who over 150 billion years gave birth to monkeys, then later great, great, great, great Grandpa (ooze from the sea, swing from a tree, & then there's me!). As they say on ESPN just before the big Monday Night game "C'mon man"!!! There are also countless ancient works of art from civilizations & tribes all over the globe that depict hunters spearing a spot on T-Rex. Guess they didn't get the memo from modern day text books that dinosaurs were gone long before we arrived. But alas, I digress. I could debate/pontificate for hours on this subject & Mrs. Chessking & I even have a hoyty-toyty theory concerning Bigfoot that I'm a hair reluctant to share. Perhaps that should be saved for my next blog entry as I have dinner to prepare & Pumpkins to carve, teeth to rot, etc., etc., Stay tuned, stay safe this All Hallow's Eve, & thanks for reading! cK.

Cold Pizza & Tylenol

In the wee small hours of the morning, I give thanks. I give thanks for family, friends, Church staff, Church members, Nurses, Doctors, (terrified of leaving someone off the list so I apologize in advance) who have offered prayers, hot food, encouragement, plumbing expertise (yeah don't ask), visitation, childcare, ground beef, time off, groceries, fresh fruit, pizza delivery, house cleaning, & so forth & so on, during this difficult season of life. Recovery has not come nearly as quickly as we would have preferred, but make no mistake, progress is being made. At the moment, I'm taking a break from practicing. Ended up raiding some leftover pizza from the icebox. Then I took some meds. Then I suddenly realized I had just consumed my favorite breakfast during my college experience-cold pizza & acetaminophen. ;0) So grateful for leftovers that I didn't have to prepare or purchase. Tired. Finger tips on both hands are burning from mucho practicing (as most of the time it's exclusively the left hand, but tonight even my right plucking hand is throbbing-a rarity I assure you). Turning in now...after being filled with satisfactory pizza & a heart of gratitude. Thank you God for giving me just what I need.

My Better Half

Feeling quite down this late September evening. It's been a "black dog" week (to quote Churchill). This entire month has been one pereptual kick in the _________. Unexpected surgery followed by elongated complications has left my household in a dark funk & out of sorts (particularly my oldest son who has had to prolong his birthday party until next month). And still no answers at this hour. Am thankful however for friends & family that have lifted some of the burden. I don't do well with waiting games. The unkown is frightening (particularly when you're creative with mucho time on your hands). Longing for my better half. Better days ahead.

I Heart Vi Hart.

All of these years I thought I hated math. But I don't hate math. I hate the way I was taught math. This extraordinary young lady named "Vi Hart" has opened my eyes. Better late than never I suppose. Perhaps my Father-in-Law was right all along. He has suggested for years now that I adore Physics & just don't know it. At any rate, hope you enjoy this video as much as I have.

Desert Rain

Was overcome by the cold downpour that embraced me this late Summer evening, as I stepped out to purchase items for my daughter's school lunches. By the time I made my way inside the store entrance, I was soaked. The greeter commented on my state of saturation, then noticed my peculiar smile in mid sentence. Others had stormed by me hoping to minimize exposure to the elements. Not I. I had purposefully meandered slowly through the seemingly gloomy drizzle with arms stretched wide at times & eyes to the heavens. After the worst electric bills in recent history, a scorched & barren yard, a vehicle that refused to keep me cool, & a broken home air conditioning unit that our landlord still refuses to repair, the hottest Texas Summer ever recorded, may finally be in the books. Yet for all my inconveniences, I still came out smelling like a rose compared to the countless Texans who lost their property & homes from this unprecedented heat. The longer I live, the more I realize how much weather drastically affects not only our dispositions, but our ability (or inability) to function on a minute by minute basis. But alas, as it is often suggested, "How can we fully appreciate the rain, without experiencing the desert?" So much to be thankful for this late September evening. So much indeed.

Give Us This Day

I suppose had you assured me 10 years ago on this day I'd be in a West Texas kitchen 10 years later making homemade bread & crock pot Chicken Noodle soup, safe & sound, with my daughter, it might have offered a small sense of hope or relief. That being said, there are just some things we never recover from this side of eternity. By all accounts, today is one of those things. I was doing just fine avoiding the commemoration until the Jets/Cowboys pregame ceremony. Bagpipes get me every time. May we never forget. Forgive us our debts oh Lord, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, & the glory are yours.
Now & forever.

Amen.

An Inconvenient Morning

Well kids, Sigh....1st day of school is officially under way & you will be relieved to know your favorite blogger made it through the drama without getting slushy. Nope. Not one tear. I waited until I dropped the last child off for emotions to get the better of me (just between us girls). We kicked things off this a.m. with thick, center cut prize winning bacon, (Am I boring you?) my scrambled eggs that are to die for, fresh strawberries, Braum's milk, Orange juice, & of course, "Fox & Friends" buzzing in the background w/ your host Gretchen Carlson, Brian Kilmeade, & "The Deuce" (Steve Doocy). At first, both children seemed to be in an elongated zombiesque state upon entering the kitchen with remnants of sleepy dust still matted to various facial features. The look on their faces quite possibly implied "You gotta be kidding me?? It's waaaaay too early for a wii tournament." What can I say? They are their father's offspring & at no time in my adult life have I ever been accused of being one of those overzealous early bird types who thinks work can only be accomplished during neat & tidy banking hours. Besides, Baby Boomers destroyed that posh work week model some 15 plus years ago. But enough about poverty ridden work weeks that lower life expectancy (on the bright side, Social Security wasn't going to be there for my generation anyway!). So long Summer of Twenty Eleven. Hello New school year. All that's left now is to pray for cold weather, Oklahoma football, & fall off the bone smoked pork ribs slathered in homemade gritty bbq sauce (where duh sweat off duh brow iz pawt uh duh ingredients!) carefully prepared behind Pappy's barn right next to that strange, large, rusted metal contraption with coils coming out of it to accompany that cold weather & Sooner football. Please & thank you.

Iowa Passion

Land of Enchantment

Tonight, home at last, I find myself more than grateful for the opportunity to get away for a few days this week. The Ward's first ever family vacation is now safely in the books, & while it wasn't nearly long enough, it was certainly memorable. If you have never experienced the rich topography, exquisite art, vast wildlife, southwest food (particularly green chili sauce), & wonderful people of the good state of New Mexico, you are missing out on one of our nation's finest treasures. This particular trip focused on a descent well below the earth's surface (754 ft to be exact) at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. And though no amount of words could ever fully describe the mouth of this monstrosity of a cave upon first exposure (who many have labeled the 8th wonder of the world mind you), my daughter came close, when she exclaimed "This was so worth it!", which in turn, made it more than worth it for your favorite blogger & mine! ;0) Put a "W" in the win column for her parents. We were long overdue.

Choux a la Creme!

Something lively to kick start your Monday Morning with. Quite possibly the finest living pianist on the face of the Earth. I heart Hiromi! Enjoy!

Stolen Moments

Been flying solo every night over the past month with my four squeedunks while my wife was slaving away on night float, so it was good to slip out late this evening for an hour or so after everyone was in bed.
In keeping with this Summer's theme of "Simple Pleasures", I grabbed a small "Whataburger", some rings, & a Coke, & went & parked in an enormous, empty, well lit parking lot for a late night meal & some much needed reflection.
Tonight's musical selection during my brief outing was provided by a group I was introduced to in college called "The New York Voices" (pictured). To say I adore this quartet is a gross understatement. They are the poster child for formally trained musicians at the top of their game & pinnacle of their career. With songs like the wonderful jazz standard "Giant Steps" & the sultry "Stolen Moments" the tension from this previous month just melted away (if only momentary).
We should all be so fortunate.
If you don't enjoy the exceptional & uniquely American art form of Jazz, you should certainly try expanding your musical palette, as Jazz is to fine upscale dining as Kanye West & Britney Spears is to Chuck E. Cheese.
Just my $.02
Cheers & happy listening,
-cW

Now What?

The end of an era came abruptly this morning at 5:56 a.m. EST as Space Shuttle Atlantis safely returned home. As best as I can tell, the world hardly noticed. This is what happens when you're flat broke-plugs get pulled & the party moves elsewhere. Future moon landings have also been scrapped by the current administration (talk about fun haters!).

Much like all things pertaining to the military, space travel is one of the few areas in my humble but accurate opinion our government has done well. Now perhaps the private sector will take over. Wouldn't hold my breath on that one however.

I suspect we are about to enter numerous blah-zay decades of a whole lota nutin' special (i.e. Spacelab). During that time, I predict one of two things will happen- A.) Another country (namely China) will be the new leader in cutting edge space exploration, or B.) Some Mark Zuckerberg of sorts in his (or her) college dorm room in some podunk Oklahoma state college you've never heard of, will make a major breakthrough during their fall semester research project (circa 2073 me thinks) thus creating zillions of new jobs. Then the whole all but forgotten ball of wax will once again resurrect itself much to the delight of future Trekkies. Hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it. Until such day, we have oceans of National debt to conquer & a great deal of mediocrity to embrace, as sadly, American exceptionalism becomes more & more a thing of the past. :0/

A Dozen Years

This morning I arose late. At least I thought I did. My youngest is constantly pushing buttons so the alarm clock on the nightstand displayed 10:00 a.m. when in reality it was more like 6 a.m.

Disappointed me a bit because I thought "Wow, it's really dark & cloudy out for this time of day. I'm going to enjoy this!"

So I arose, took a quiet bath before the children woke. During my "hour in the shower" (Chicago song title reference there for you die hards) a cold realization came over me that I only have six years left with my oldest before she leaves home. Saddens me. There's so much left I want to do with her & for her. However, everywhere I turn seems to leave me with very limited options. Just don't feel like her childhood memories will be nearly as rich as I had envisioned.

Life is backwards. By the time you can afford the large home with the various amenities the children are grown. By the time you are able to take that dream vacation your body is worn out, & your offspring are spread across the planet & deeply entrenched in making ends meat/raising their own families, working 100 hours a week, etc.

Last week my daughter turned 12. I pray my last at bat will be better than my first.

The Power of Eighty-Three Cents

Once upon a time, long, long ago, in a community a lot like yours & mine, there resided numerous families from every walk of life, who experienced the same struggles, hopes & dreams as you & I. One day, the townspeople received an extraordinary gift from a land far away. The gift came in so many boxes however, it would require a great deal of time & resources on the already burdened locals to assemble.

So the present stayed in its containers for years to follow & was thus forgotten about.

In time, a bright young businessman from within the community had grown immensely frustrated from the inaction surrounding the gift & vowed to take matters into his own hands. If lack of funds was the problem (& it always is!) then he would offer a solution.

Since he ran the local paper, he promised to publish the name of anyone who financially donated to the assembling of this all but forgotten item NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE AMOUNT.

The idea worked like a charm. Problem was, the big donors decided to sit this one out. Instead, 121,000 peasants, drunks, chimney sweepers, factory workers, shoeshine boys, grocery clerks, barbers, waiters & waitresses, little old ladies on fixed incomes, orphans & even kindergartners donated toward the cause with the average contributed amount totalling a mere eighty-three cents.

As the unveiling drew near, A gifted young poet from within the community was summoned to pen a work to commemorate the festivities.

She initially declined, presuming the event would not merit the appropriate inspiration needed. Fortunately, she would experience a change of heart.

To this day, the poet's masterful words of hope & encouragement have been warmly received by countless travelers from all walks of life arriving in her homestead...

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

From our family to yours-Have a safe & blessed Independence Day.

Proper Insults

Perhaps the funniest vlog I've come across to date. In fact, I'll just concede right now & say it is the funniest vlog I've come across to date. What can I say? I'm a huge fan & youtube follower!

Background: Created by author John Green who is best known for his published young adult novel "Looking for Alaska".

The Set Up: John & his brother Hank ran a video blog project called Brotherhood 2.0. The original project ran from January 1 to December 31, 2007, with the premise that the brothers would cease all text-based communication for the year & instead converse by video blogs, made available to the public via YouTube (where they are known as the "vlogbrothers") & on their Brotherhood 2.0 website.

Enjoy!

Simple Pleasures

Due to current life circumstances, this is turning into the Summer of simple pleasures. Tonight was no exception to that theme. First, I took the older three for some late night knock off Icees (pictured- & as you can see, Kael hasn't finished his yet). It didn't hurt things in the least that the Valero Quick Stop was showing The O'Reilly Factor when we walked in (talk about pleasing your customer!). ;0)

Then we went cruising with the A.C. blasting & the car stereo screaming out Chicago's "Stone of Sisyphus" (from their controversial lost album for you true Chicago fans out there). Then we finally made our way home. Then we stood on our airport runway of a driveway & Kristen pointed out Venus. Then I showed Kael the Big Dipper & pretended to hold the handle. Then Caleb saw a shooting star. Then we called it a night.

Makes for a good little memory. Wooden shoe agree?

G'Night!

Red-Eye Flight

Under a mostly full Moon, & gentle late night panhandle breeze (approximately 3 to 5 mph crosswind I'm guessing), my older 2 sons & I snuck out (& have for the last several nights if truth be told) to test our latest aeronautical creations. Shhhh! Our little secret (wink, wink). Oh well, it's Summer. Live a little. So sue me.

Our latest highly temperamental creation is called the Omniwing. You can learn how to build your own by going here http://omniwing.com/

Experienced multiple gratifying flights (particularly when launched off the top of our vehicle). Even Kael's PL-1 http://www.josephpalmer.com/planes/PL1/PL1.shtml which took a licking from our neighbor's sprinkler system a day or so ago, still performed beautifully I am pleased as punch (whatever that means) to report.

So there you have it. Quiet, low cost entertainment at its finest. Wooden shoe agree? ;0)

Night-night.

Out of Office Reply

Not that I'm setting the world on fire over here by any stretch of the imagination, but there's something in particular about this time of year that makes me just want to ...well....punt! Could be the unrelenting heat. Could be the fact that for years I was conditioned to relax & retreat when that final school bell rang as vast herds of yard apes (self included) were dismissed for the Summer.

I suspect life is about seasons that require properly pacing & positioning oneself & blah, blah, blah, who cares.

So far, I've managed to make progress on a good, thick book. Perhaps that's the only side goal I should set for myself this Summer come to think-Great reading material, a few elongated, hot baths, filled with abundant suds & some much needed contemplation, & a nice pot or two of freshly ground coffee this Summer. Yes. This should suffice nicely. It would appear I'm becoming a minimalist in my old age. There are worse things to become. Wooden shoe agree? ;0)

Patriot Sighting

Love this picture. Title says it all. Blessings to you & yours on this Memorial Day. C.

Four Score & Several Years Ago...

Simple evening. Simple meal. Simply wonderful.

Happy Birthday Kael. We love you dearly. :0)

Solace

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 New International Version

Bite of the Jackal

In 1984, a highly classified military undertaking was created by a branch of our Central Intelligence Agency. It involved unprecedented technology surrounding a highly advanced helicopter. Stealth technology, 40mm wing cannons, heat sinking missiles, & jet engine propulsion exceeding speeds of Mach 1 were just a few of its astonishing capabilities. It was piloted by two of the best in the business-Dominic Santini, & his young apprentice, Stringfellow Hawke. Project code name: "Airwolf", & it was my favorite television show in the mid 1980's. ;0)

Saddens me to learn of the downward spiral actor Jan-Michael Vincent (Hawke) has experienced through the years. Difficult to stomach the punishing toll alcoholism has taken on his body, as this was an actor that was larger than life, & more popular than Brad Pitt in his day.

Never ceases to amaze me how those who have been given so much can, by their own volition, throw it all away. Such is the deteriorating human condition.

Whether Royalty or Commoner, Prince or Pauper, each of us posses an enormous void that no amount of worldly possessions, titles, or experiences can possibly satisfy.

Perhaps C.S. Lewis said it best in that "He who has God & everything else has no more than he who has God only".

Godspeed Jan-Michael. My prayers go with you friend.

Olympic Hopeful

The first win is in the books ladies & gents.

Not a bad first outing indeed, for the

Crocket Middle School Lady Spikers.

Topped it off with a victory celebration at

Braum's for some much needed ice cream

& you have the makings of a perfect

Panhandle Spring evening.

She's a little young for London,

Twenty Twelve, but your favorite

blogger & mine already has his

eyes on Rio, for the 2016

Summer games (I can dream can't I?).

C.

Summer Fades

By His Stripes

The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God. -C.S. Lewis

Grace & peace to you from our family to yours this Holy Week.

Reunion

After a most trying week of separation, I am pleased to report two kindred spirits are once again reunited this evening. Sarah had a hysterectomy last Wednesday so she had to be quarantined for a week from her disorderly brother for a little R&R on the down low (or is it low down?).

Wasn't all bad though. Both received extra treats, chew bones, numerous walks through
the neighborhood (am i boring you?), & Sarah even enjoyed several trips to my daughter's Jr. High after school which on one occasion involved a Sonic Cherry Limeade (shhh...our little secret).

As I type, I can hear them going at it in the back yard. Dogs certainly have a peculiar way of greeting one another (biting, running, gnawing, sniffing, etc.). At any rate, glad this chapter is behind us. Wooden shoe agree?

Pictured: The "Dance of Joy" just moments after the reunion. And yes, I know I need to cut my grass.

The Separatists

Read online tonight some of the passages from William Bradford's historic journal "Of Plimoth Plantation". Was again reminded of the profound cost of acting on faith.

We know the end result was the birth of a nation. The necessary ingredients however, demanded immense sacrifice, loss of life, imprisonment, & unspeakable hardships. While I would never wish such atrocities on even my worst enemy, I for one am glad they had the courage to follow their convictions. May we all.

...With mutual embraces & many tears, they took their leaves of one another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them...but they knew they were pilgrims & looked not much on those things, but lifted their eyes to heaven, their dearest country & quited their spirits -William Bradford's description of leaving the Netherlands for the new world. This passage is also where Separatists & non-Separatists from henceforth became known as simply "Pilgrims''.

Year One

After crawling & slobbering all over his father during tonight's O'reilly Factor, the little tyke is finally asleep, completely oblivious of the significance of today's date. As it should be I suppose.

What a difference a year makes.

Glad it's in the books. It's been a highly productive twelve months full of great accomplishments & blah, blah, blah, yadi-yadi-yaduh, but not one I care to repeat.

Tired. (yawn)

Going to bed after I run through a few more tunes. On 2nd thought, forget the tunes, just going to bed (as "sleep is a weapon" as they say in those Bourne Identity movies).

And so we embark on year two. Happy birthday Cam Jam. We love you. Now get some rest. ;0)

Pictured: A tired Mom & Cam after his birthday party weekend. Many thanks to all who attended & shared in this moment with us.

Reverse Thinking

I Am Not Afraid

Me Lucky Charms

Hope you experienced the Luck of the Irish this St. Patty's Day.
Blessings from our family to yours,

-cW (seadub) ;0)

Another Rainy Day In New York City

Remember The Feeling

A rare gem from imho the greatest album ever produced-Chicago 17. And though it was never released as a single, it was a highly respectable, well written composition, with bitter sweet lyrics. And speaking of bitter sweet memorabilia, such heavyhearted memories for me, the listener, upon revisiting this body of work. Brings back feelings of wistfulness & abundant unrest during my adolescent years, as frustrations abounded & personal failures ruled the day. Alas, what doesn't kill us, only makes us clinically depressed (Lol!)... or something along those lines. Please enjoy. Take it away Peter....

Post Game Wrap Up

Silence has overtaken my household. Quite a different story just a few hours earlier. And while we didn't achieve full blown three ring circus status, we came dangerously close. Perhaps a two, or 2.5 ring circus.


I dunno.



What I do know is there were children running, physicians dictating, consumption of allegedly undercooked meatballs (no worries, sauce covers a multitude of culinary sins), & a couple of musicians banging around on their respective instruments.




These days, we posses unprecedented technological advances in the form of iphones, twitter, & Zuckerberg's wee little innovation, to name a few. Yet we all seem just as emotionally/physically depleted & lonely as ever. Therefore, a night of slow cooked food, & music that is actually performed by humans (as opposed to a cold, sterile compact disc, aka "canned music", or worse, mp3) is not only a rare treat imho, it's a necessity.


That being acknowledged, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to those who attended & participated in tonight's gathering- particularly Mrs. Chessking, who sacrifices greatly to make these evenings successful. Would also like to thank Bobby "Double B" Bailey, who continues to put in mucho practice hours not to mention hauling drums across town every other week for rehearsals. While challenging to pull off, I dare say we do a bang up job utilizing the resources & narrow window of time each of us posses.



So....What Chicago song will the good Chessking cover next month?


Details after the game. ;0)


Hint: It was the #1 song of the year in nineteen hundred and eighty eight.

The Other Side

First, my sincerest apologies for the intrusive power lines. Didn't feel like I could crop them out without compromising the story. Now that we have that out of the way, isn't this an incredible display of God's artistic abilities? Such a perfect use of texture. Chessking gives a resounding two thumbs up! Oddly enough, you sort of get the feeling this is merely the tip of the iceberg, as Scripture tells us sin entered all creation. That means Niagara Falls, The Grand Canyon, & the Hawaiian Islands are mere eye sores compared to what it is to come (With the exception being Sarah Palin's Alaska of course ;0).

I've heard stories too.

For example, those who have been given a glimpse of the other side collectively report phenomenons such as new colors, new musical notes, (I guess that's possible considering we've only been briefed on the first chapter of the laws of physics) & everything being far more intense than anything third rock from the sun has to offer.


It has even been suggested that that world is far more real than this world.

"Impressive. Most impressive..." (to quote Lord Vader).

I liken it to a party you attend at a beautiful mansion. You may be in a nice room upon first entering the building, but you can instantly tell the real event is going on just down the hall & to the right. And what an event it will be.

See you there?

Living Water

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."' Gospel of John 7:38 English Standard Version

Artwork: Kristen Ward

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Will You Still Love Me

Currently my all time favorite Chicago song. Such memories. It represents A time of transition in my life- from Jr. High to teenage years, Star Wars action figures to girl troubles, Reagan to Bush 41, 80's to 90's, Cetera to Scheff. A wonderful arrangement & Jason Scheff's first solo with the band off of Chicago XVIII. Will never forget sitting in my bedroom in Checotah, Oklahoma & hearing it broadcast over the airwaves for the first time. Chicago always stood heads & tails above the crowd imho for their pristine musicianship & masterful arrangements. Even in those days I could always recognize their new material after about half a measure into the song. ;0)

The following is raw & highly rare footage of Jason's solo during Chicago's acoustic set, recorded with the World Trade Centers in the background on July 12, 2001, just under two months before they were no more. Haunting. How different our world has become. Nevertheless, comforting to revisit an old favorite. Glad to know some things remain. Hope you enjoy.

Episode IV: A New Hope

This morning I am pleased to report it's been a strangely exhilarating 72 hours. And despite being home today with two very sick children (oldest & youngest), the flame has never burned brighter...literally...as my wife's Forest Tree candle from Bath & Body Works permeates my office where last night's 4 a.m. diaper blowout did considerable damage.

The children are pacified at the moment. The Mrs. is busy moving mountains while on call. My oldest son is at school, & I just finished a plate of toast & eggs over medium, with a light dusting of sea salt & cracked peppercorns. I am currently (am I boring you?) Sipping Starbuck's Komodo Dragon blend, which is my new found love since idiot Seattle's Best discontinued Henry's Blend for reasons I'll never understand.

You would think it was a typical ho-hum, blahzay panhandle winter morning wooden shoe? Yet momentum has brought fresh wind & fresh fire to all that ails me.

I'm reluctant to share this with you, & it's not that exciting I assure you. I proceed only because this blog is first & foremost for my never ending need to mull, contemplate, categorize, organize, reflect, etc.

Late last night I was playing a song for my youngest. It seemed to momentarily settle him & ease his discomfort. I don't do it often, but I did last night. He sat on the love seat & listened carefully for awhile. He even sang along at times in between various spit bubbles. During that time I was overcome with a kind of joy no words can express. I proceeded to text mail my wife to inquire of my sanity. She promptly replied assuring me my mental stability has always been in question. ;0)

Just joking...sort of....

So that's it. Anticlimactic to say the least eh? That's all I have. Nutin' sexy. Just a renewed hope & vision for my family's future for the first time in a very, very long time. A gift from above to be certain.

Here's to dreams & ordinary people. May God grant each of us the faith needed to reach our destination.

Be Happy with the Lord, & he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4GWT

Snow Day!

Public school system along with Interstate 40 shut down? Check! French Toast & Jimmy Dean Sausage for a late breakfast (with the entire fam mind you)? Check! Hot cup of Starbuck's Komodo Dragon Asian blend brewing using only cold filtered water & freshly ground beans? Check! Samuel & Sarah Ward frolicking about in backyard? Check! Kids at play & the Mrs. comfy & cozy? Check!



To quote the immortal Robert Lamm- "Life is good in my neighborhood."