diaryofanut

According to Dictionary.com, the meaning of “diary” is: A daily record, usually private, especially of the writer’s own experiences, observations, feelings, attitudes, etc.  I must therefore confess that the Diaryofanut blog has fallen quite a bit short of this definition.  Not only, is my diary not private, but it certainly has not been daily, and with increasing frequency, it has fallen from its monthly status!!  It not that I struggle to actually speak about my experiences, feelings, or attitudes (just ask a member of my family…….any member!),  it is just that it becomes difficult to put into print a coherent chronology of all that transpires in the life of a “nut”!  Perhaps this video which presents a comedic analysis of the female/male brain will sufficiently explain my plight!

You see……..”everything” in my mind is connected to “everything” and the longer I procrastinate about sorting it all out in order to write a somewhat coherent blog, the easier it becomes to put off writing until another day, and so on, and so on………and now, here I sit, two months later with a kabillion words connecting to a kabillion events and I have no idea where to begin.  “Calvin, can you hear me???  Do you know what I am talking about??  Help!!  Help!!!”

I knew that I could count on Calvin……….I am not a machine…….I take pride in my work…..I value craftsmanship!!!  No wonder I procrastinate………brilliantly explained by a six-year old cartoon character!!  Two days or two months….Calvin and I apparently need lots of time to develop and perfect our respective “crafts”!  LOL

And now, without further ado, I present the result of two months worth of procrastination beginning with my favorite winter diversion – basketball.  First of all, let me just say that our Ohio State Buckeyes were as frustrating to watch as the Ohio winter weather!!  It was a down year in terms of producing the sort of excitement that us diehard fans are used to experiencing, I guess I have been spoiled by so many successes.  That being said, I was fortunate to have “friends” in high places  (thanks to my brother, Bobby) who had season tickets down close to the court which he very generously shared with all of the family.

At this particular game, Jo and I (for the second time this season) were privy to Bobby’s court side seats and as you can see, Brutus Buckeye paid our little VIP section a personal visit…..notice how he is even sort of bowing before us??   Okay, okay so he wasn’t even remotely aware that Jo and I existed..he  was actually leaning over to acknowledge one of the kids a few seats below us!  My youngest brother Tommy, (the sibling whom I swear was born with a silver spoon in his mouth!) sent us a text that he, being the beneficiary of a friend’s VIP tickets, was also at the game and was seated center court, directly above the student cheering section (see??…….I told you he is the “S.S.S”……silver spoon sibling!).  We decided to meet at half-time at which time we were graciously invited by Tommy and his friend to join their group for the remainder of the game.  And so it was, that Jo and I surrendered Bobby’s fabulous corner court-side seats for Tommy’s luxury front and center court-side seats.  Loved, loved, loved watching the Buckeyes up close and in person……….seeing D’Angelo Russell work his magic was especially awesome.  Hats off to the brothers!!!

Doesn’t Luke look a little bit like Harry Reid?? (for all of you non-political readers, you might want to google Harry Reid and his exercise bands “accident” LOL).  Poor Luke he was playing basketball for his 5th grade I.C. team when he was tripped up and fell flat on his face…..this picture was taken a couple of days later and shows the ugly aftermath.  That black eye stayed with him for a couple of weeks as it went from black and blue to a yellow, green and purple.  He won’t admit it, but I think he must have impressed a few 5th grade girls with his new “tough guy” look.  Of course, Luke wasn’t the only Schultheis playing some hoops…..Christopher and Megan doubled up as a coaching team for Sophia’s 4th grade I.C. team.  I believe that it took Chris and Megan several games to gradually lower what were initially some rather high expectations of their team, realizing that, even though many of the girls had played rec ball the year before, 4th grade is still pretty much a learning year:).  Over the course of several months, Sophia and her teammates gained increasing confidence as they improved their ball handling and shooting skills, I am not sure however, if they ever managed to grasp the significance of Christopher’s clipboard x’s and o’s!!! LOL

The family also had a chance to cheer on my nephew, Nate and his team, the Racers, as they battled their way through many hard-fought games to reach the finals of the State Division III Special Olympics Basketball Championship. They pulled out a victory and no one, absolutely no one, could have been more happy than Nate. That Nate….he never fails to amaze us with his self-assured confidence as he plows through guys taller and heavier, fighting for every stray ball, driving to the hoop for a lay-up or sinking a three pointer!!  What we all really love about Nate is that he always, always, always says exactly what is on his mind (Mmmmm…could that be an “aunt” inherited trait???)  For instance, right after the championship game, with his Dad standing well within hearing range, Nate walked up to his coach and told him that he was a better coach than his Dad (who had been the team’s coach for several years prior)!  Nate calls ’em as he sees ’em!!  In Nate’s world, even Lebron’s innate ability on the court can not measure up to his own……Nate assures us all that he could go one on one with Lebron and beat him……every….. single….. time!!

Basketball was not the only winter diversion……the Schultheis sisters graciously invited two of us “outlaws”, Rayne and myself, to meet up with them at The Hollywood Casino (a.k.a. Columbus’ local gambling establishment) a few weeks ago for an afternoon of literally hundreds of games of chance. “Games” and “chance” are two words that never translate into “fortune” and “victory” for me and this particular afternoon was no different.  Interestingly, Warren Buffet once said about gambling that, in general, it is a “tax on stupidity”,  thankfully, I did not remain “stupid” for long, although I certainly did pay a “tax” LOL!!  Finally, an hour before we were to leave, I discovered a real treasure………the roulette machine.  Way more fun for me than the coin eating slots.  I put $20 in and an hour later I was only down $10!!!!   That is how victory in a casino is measured for us Clarks…..not by how much $ we have won, but how little $ we have lost!!  Mom always claimed that she was waiting for her ship to come in…..it was just too bad that it happened to be the Titanic!  And Dad once famously told Bobby one year, that he should not worry about his employment situation….there was, after all, a light at the end of the tunnel….it was just too bad for Bobby that it was a train!!!!  And everyone wonders where my “glass half-empty” had its origins!!

The gallery above reflects a morning at the bookstore with the “dynamic duo”.  After Mayce and Josh had scoured through the rows and rows of books, they spied the stuffed animal display and began to move the animals from their shelves and gradually became lost in a world of make-believe!  I had been browsing in another aisle, and when I looked over I saw this strange alignment of stuffed dogs faced as though they were actually reading what was in front of them.  I asked what the dogs were doing on the floor and it was explained that the dogs had become sick and so Mayce and Josh had taken them to the vet and had placed the dogs in the “waiting room”.  LOL  Eventually, the “dynamic duo” retrieved the “healed” dogs and then ventured to remove practically every small stuffed animal from its respective shelf and proceeded to create a special “zoo” for them.  I have to say, that it does not take a very innovative individual to entertain these two……..they both have very elaborate imaginations and being around them makes me smile and reminds me to appreciate the simple joys of living!

I see that I am running over my self-imposed allotment of 1200 words/per post, but a lot happens in the life of a “nut”…….I am thinking that I need a Miss Wormwood (Calvin’s teacher) to keep me on track!!  There is still so much more that I want to document and share, and so I will try to condense the rest into a slideshow:

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Before I hit “publish” I would like to share an incident which Christopher encountered when he was leaving the adoration chapel a few weeks ago.  We have at Immaculate Conception a Eucharistic devotion (ours is a Perpetual Adoration, meaning twenty-four hours, seven days a week) whereby parishioners commit to taking a specific hour to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.  The gentleman who takes the hour following Christopher’s is the father of a one of Chris’ former I.C. classmates.  We are casual acquaintances, but he is familiar with our family situation and knows Crick’s journey of four years ago.  Anyway, as Christopher was opening the door to the chapel to leave, this person, uncharacteristically, asked Chris, “Talking to your Dad, were you?”  When Christopher shared this with me, he told me that the really curious thing that got to him, was that he actually had been talking to Crick that night.  Peace and comfort come to each of us in many ways when we have endured the loss of a loved one……I have encountered many such incidents in the past few years, and each time my faith in a loving, compassionate, just and merciful God has grown deeper and stronger.  I read this a few days ago…it seems appropriate:

Heaven is both present and future.  As you walk along your life-path holding My hand, you are already in touch with the essence of heaven:  nearness to Me.  You can also find many hints of heaven along your pathway, because the earth is radiantly alive with My Presence.  Shimmering sunshine awakens your heart, gently reminding you of My brilliant Light.  Birds and flowers, trees and skies evoke praises to My holy Name.  Keep your eyes and ears fully open as you journey with Me.

At the end of your life-path is an entrance to heaven.  Only I know when you will reach that destination, but I am preparing you for it each step of the way.  The absolute certainty of your heavenly home gives you Peace and Joy, to help you along your journey.  You know that you will reach your home in My perfect timing; not one moment too soon or too late.  Let the hope of heaven encourage you, as you walk along the path of Life with Me.                                    Jesus Calling  

Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order:  Christ the first-fruits, and next, at His coming, those who belong to Him.                                  1 Corinthians 15:22-23

That. Really. Is. All.

TNT

TGW

As you might imagine, when I am not preoccupied with a varying array of family matters, I  have been quite busy filling these dreary, cold, endless Ohio winter days poring over an assortment of political articles.  The truly annoying part of being somewhat of an OCD personality, is that even when I am fully aware that the more that I learn about the problems in our government and in our culture the more distressed I become…….I still feel compelled to know more of that which makes me anxious!  LOL……clearly, I am a certifiable “nut”!!    Now why am I envisioning Crick peeking through the Ohio clouds with a huge grin on his face???!!!

Speaking of the devil :)……the grandchildren celebrated his birthday by once again writing messages to Crick on individual balloons and then, at nightfall, sending them up into the sky.  They all seem to look forward to this now annual birthday remembrance as a comforting acknowledgement of his presence still among us. Their messages called to mind not only a mutual love, but also the teasing brand of humor he foisted upon them, as well as an appreciation of the moon, the stars and the planets which he, via his telescope, so often shared with them.  I often wonder what life would be like around this house on TGIFriday afternoons if Crick were here to add to the chaos (somewhat of a terrifying image……picturing him lying on the floor in the middle of the living room while he has a slew of grandkids walking on his back, giggling and screaming, falling all over each other while I watch and wait for the inevitable injury to take place!!!).  I must admit that I have witnessed some of his rambunctious, teasing, provocative nature in more than one of his grandchildren, so perhaps, he has been channeling them from beyond just to keep ME on my toes!!  It has been a challenge, at times, this winter to find indoor activities that will entertain such a diverse age group.  Therefore, in an attempt to tap into the creative side of a couple of the grandkids who have shown a particular aptitude for resourcefulness, I handed them a camera and a tripod and sent them down to the TV room (better known around here as the “basement” (which I consider one step up from being designated a “cellar” for it does contain a carpet, a sofa and a TV!!) and challenged them to produce a video.  This met with resounding success as they spent the better part of two Friday afternoons pulling it all together.  I was invited to a preview this past week as Luke was preparing to edit some scenes and I have to give them credit….a few of those scenes showed some interesting creativity!!!  LOL

On another Friday, when things were starting to “heat up” (if you catch my drift), I separated a few of them by sitting them down with papers and pencils and proposed that they draw blueprints of their dream home.  From these few samples, you can see which amenities figured most prominently in their design features!

While the sports enthusiasts among us are currently engrossed in my most favorite of all sports’ seasons……..college basketball………we here in Ohio are still savoring the ever so sweet victory of the football Bucks over the Ducks in the NCAA National Championship Play-Off.  Bobby put together an impromptu play-off pool for the family for which there was no entry fee (he probably figured he would never see the money anyway!!  ha, ha).  He did, moreover, generously offer to supply the first, second, and third prize winners with OSU sportswear, and he even awarded a “booby” prize (courtesy of Clark cousin, Mary) to the last place “winner”….. Christine!!!!  (As publisher of this blog, I hereby grant myself bragging rights to note that my entry came in second, narrowly missing the first place prize to niece, Tori!!)

I was recently asked to join our Immaculate Conception Parish’s Centennial Committee in preparation for the 100 anniversary of the Consecration of the church which will be celebrated in 2016.  I suppose they were looking for “older” parishioners who had a long history at I.C.  I qualified on both counts!!!  Since Jimmy began 1st grade at I.C. in the fall of  1953 through today, the Clark family has had an unbroken succession of family members attending the school. And so, in pursuit of memorabilia to provide the committee, I have been delving back into the “archives” of photos which are currently stored haphazardly in numerous unmarked plastic containers (my one concession a few years ago to “organizing” pictures was to move them from cardboard shoe boxes to plastic containers!!!).  I am slowly scanning some of these photos, but I have simply transferred the disorganization to my laptop…..the only concession I made to organizing on the computer is that they are uploaded into folders according to the month that I scanned them……..I know, I know…….a very poor system.  The reason I am giving you this back story is to showcase this gem I discovered from my kindergarten days at Glenmont Elementary.  I discovered that I have saved every report card from kindergarten through my junior year in high school…..for some reason, I have not found the one from my senior year……not sure why it would be missing as that should have been a “good” year for me as I didn’t have to take a math course!!!  Anyway, it was my kindergarten report card that really caught my eye, particularly the “days absent” report.  Newly enlightened, I now realize that truly the apple does not fall far from the tree!!   To further explain……as pre-school was not prevalent back in the 70’s, kindergarten was for many children, a brand new away from home experience.  Of our four kids, Megan and Stephanie were the most resistant (a.k.a terrified/willful LOL) to the idea of being away from home for even a few hours…..I remember chasing Megan around an old air hockey table we once owned and just when I thought I had her in my grasp, she broke away and scrambled underneath and sat in the middle of the table until I got down on all fours and crawled after her.  Having observed the trauma of watching Megan’s failure to elude going to school, Stephanie tried a different tactic………she waited until it was time to get out of the car (in front of countless Moms whose children were all sweetness and smiles as they waited patiently in line!) and then she would begin to cry profusely and endlessly, her eyes spewing huge crocodile tears, her face turning ever-changing colors of pink and red as she clung with death-like tenacity to my hand/arm/leg/jacket.  All the while, I am struggling to get her to steps of the school so that her long-suffering teacher could help to pry her away from me and proceed with the “well parented” children into the classroom.  Now I suppose Jenn, Meg, Steph and Chris will read this and swear that their real fear of school came only from a sense of panic and dread that when the school bell rang at the end of the day, they would be left standing in the school yard as the last, lone, forgotten student.  I will therefore confess that on a few occasions, I was just a wee bit late in returning to school to pick them up.  But sheesh……their teachers always managed to persuade them (often with a reassuring lollipop) that their Mom always, always, always came back to get them!!

This past month the Schultheis card group managed to get together for another fun-filled evening of poker and……..my family favorite……..”pass the trash”.  Judy and Bill came up from Cincinnati for the evening and per usual, they cleaned us all out and then left for home!!  Bill’s presence certainly helps to fill the void that our little card group feels without the “Hardy Boys” (Crick and Mark) around…….poor Jay……those two left him stuck with all the women!!

There is definitely nothing quite like family and friends to soothe our weary minds and souls…….whenever I am feeling tired, down, stressed or out-of-sorts, I know I am only a phone call or a card game (LOL) away from those who are always ready to fill my “glass half-empty” to overflowing with their laughter, their encouragement, and most of all, their love.

This curiously ties right into one of the readings at Mass today and the homily given by our good friend, Bud who happens to be the Deacon of our parish.   I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unanimity with the Scripture passage of Job 7: 3-7

 I have months of futility assigned to me, nights of suffering to be my lot.  Lying in bed I wonder, ‘When will it be day?’ No sooner up than, ‘When will evening come?’ And crazy thoughts obsess me till twilight falls.  Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind.  Remember that my life is but a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy.

Obviously, Job did not have the benefit of Crick shaking him out of his despair by his single pronouncement to, “Just be glad that you were able to wake up and put two feet on the floor”! Job did however, and more importantly, have his faith and while it was constantly and severely tested by Satan as the 42 chapters of Job reveal; Job eventually learned to continue to trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses.  This kind of trusting, however, did not come naturally to Job.  It was for him a spiritual crisis of the will in which Job had to consciously choose to exercise his faith.  Bud explained that in the exercise of our faith, we can choose either the almost despairing attitude of Job reflected in this chapter, or we can choose to embrace the philosophy championed in a poem from which he read the following:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church….a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.                                                       Charles R Swindoll 

Do you suppose that Crick felt that he had been living, for all of our married years, with a modern-day Job????  Do you suppose he is wondering when he is going to be proclaimed a saint????  Was he channeling Bud from beyond today to read the poem, Attitude????  Is that why I had the feeling at Mass that “someone’s” eyes were burning a hole in my head????  Was he channeling me from beyond and that is that why I had a dream about him last night????  Uummmmmmmm

Questions to ponder…………TNT

TGW

Over the past three years, the months of November through January 6th have become significantly bittersweet as memories of Crick flood our family’s hearts with a curious blend of  joy and sadness.  As today marks what would have been his 67th birthday, I would like to once again, as in previous years, plead for the reader’s indulgence as I share two short videos in celebration of this consequential day.

The first video is one I have shared several times before and the second video is the result of another recent photo search which produced a few long forgotten pictures.  Keep in mind that capturing, in still shots or in video, the always elusive, mischievous and cagey DH required persistent pleading (nagging, to be more precise!!!), coercion and/or bribery.  And when that failed, as it often did, we were forced to resort to deception and treachery to seek the element of “surprise”……you will see from the slideshow how that effort turned out!!!

It has been said,  “No matter what anybody says about grief and about time healing all wounds, the truth is, there are certain sorrows that never fade away until the heart stops beating and the last breath is taken.”  But I have learned that there is truth in the following quote: “When someone dies, you don’t get over your grief by forgetting.  You get through your grief by remembering.”  It is up to us the “rememberers”, the people left behind, to keep the one who is gone from us alive in heart, in mind, in soul.  (Note: The music score to the second video just happens to be titled, “Sweet Remembrance of You”)

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Crick,
Happy Birthday to you!

TNT

TGW

I believe Christine and Mike were trying to deliver a not so subtle message to me when I discovered this picture text sent to my phone one evening. It seems they were out browsing the dozens of galleries and non-traditional exhibit spaces during the monthly Short North Gallery Hop which is Columbus’ favorite night of the month to spotlight the best of established and emerging Ohio-based artists.  They thought that perhaps I might want them to purchase it for me given it’s very appropriate message, to say nothing of the fact that it was done in black and white…..my favorite color scheme!!!  Perhaps, you may be wondering how in the world I can get up every morning and “put two feet on the floor” when I must carry this burden of being the ‘”glass half-empty”, pessimistic “dreamcrusher”!!!!  I admit that it is an onerous responsibility that I joyously bear to ensure that my very large extended family are never without “the other side of the story”.  Several recent photos may reveal exactly how I am called into service on their behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see, it is just not in my DNA to even contemplate the notion of actually paying money to go up in a small plane, 10,000 to 14,000 feet above terra firma, with the sole purpose of intentionally standing near an open door in order to willfully jump from a plane, free-falling for sixty seconds…….hoping……and praying……..that your parachute will indeed open so that you can canopy safely back to earth!!  It is this incredulous and pragmatic fear (some other “pessimists”, I do believe, would also concur) of such a risky adventure that compelled me to at least make an attempt to “crush” Erin and Maddie’s (two of my dear nieces) “dream” of soaring through the sky like the birds (my own well-documented antagonistic relationship with birds not withstanding!).  Obviously they chose to disregard my “dreamcrushing” counsel and in fact, lived to tell all about their thrilling “crash-dive”! LOL  And then there is Katie (another of my dear, tenacious nieces) who researched, planned and funded a solo, six-week excursion to Cusco, Peru.  Please keep in mind, that her particular “dream” was the direct antithesis to the dream from my youth of one day travelling “all the way” to New York city.  A “dream” that was left unfulfilled until I celebrated my 60th birthday!!  Earlier in the year, quiet, unassuming Katie delivered the news to her family that she had made arrangements to travel 3,761 miles to Peru for the summer to volunteer at one of Mother Teresa’s medical clinics to assist the nuns with caring for developmentally challenged children.  The pictures she has put up on Facebook of the sites she has visited in her free time are absolutely stunning.  She is definitely encountering a culture far removed from her own, and while I and her parents, were concerned about a young woman travelling so far away to such an unfamiliar destination, we have all come to embrace her selfless and gutsy decision.  We are anxiously and excitedly awaiting her return this weekend…………I just hope and pray that her plane is well fueled and thoroughly inspected!!  (refer to the introductory picture……remember…..I am represented on the right side!!). It suddenly occurred to me as I re-read this paragraph that in many of my blogs,  I am frequently explaining/defending my ISFJ personality!!  Now that could be a topic for an entire blog, but I am not quite sure that I want to open that Pandora’s box!  LOL   Suffice it to say, years ago while working in a dental office, the staff was introduced to a survey by Kiersey and Bates (similar to Jung/Myers theory) in order to help us better understand our individual behavior traits, particularly as they related to our work environment.  Well, mine was so spot on, that for eighteen years I saved the explanation/evaluation so as to better defend myself in any future “discussions” with DH (dear husband)!  As I just recently came across the evaluation while in search of a document, I will briefly highlight a few of the behaviors which I am certain that all who know me will be nodding vehemently in agreement.

 Portrait of an ISFJ …… “Six out of every one hundred people are ISFJ’s (gosh…I am practically in a class all by myself!!)……..ISFJ’s carry a sense of history, continuity with past events and relationships (must be why I love #TBT – ThrowBack Thursday – photos from the past, for those who don’t use Facebook)………….ISFJ’s highly value traditions ……….ISFJ’s believe work is good, play must be earned (ahem!)………they are seldom happy where rules are constantly changing (ahem #2!)……………. ISFJ’s prefer routines which call for repeated, sequential procedures (could that be OCD??)………….speculation and theory do not intrigue them (is that a put-down??? ha, ha, ha),…………… they prefer to leave the less practical matters to others, while remaining themselves practical and down-to-earth (can you say “dreamcrusher’??!!)

I will let you digest that for a moment, while I move on to share some family highlights of the past month.  This motley crew of twenty-five siblings/in-laws, nieces/nephews and even great-niece/great-nephew hit the links for our 4th or 5th annual/once or twice skipped (it’s the Clark family, for crying out loud!!) golf tournament.  And for once it was not played in 95 degree/100% humidity!!!  Our partners for the scramble were “randomly” selected…….someone in the family must have a vendetta against Dave (nephew-n-law) as he got stuck with “moi” as his golfing partner!!!! He was truly a great sport……..I never saw him once roll his eyes or duck behind a tree or hide under the cart or put a bag over his head!!  He proved to be a really good golfer who deserved a better partner, especially as I had not played since last year and hadn’t even gotten myself to the driving range at all this summer.  Usually, the best part of my haphazard golf game is teeing off, but after the first couple of holes, even that one bright spot faded away so that it was I who was searching for a bag to cover my head!!!  I desperately needed motivation to lift me out of my slump.  Some inspiration to rise up out of the ashes……….who would I call upon???  No, not Crick…….this moment cried out for an amazing amount of animosity, not just mild irritation!!  ha, ha, ha.  And then, in a moment of clarity, it came to me.  As we approached the eighth hole, I grabbed my driver from my bag, approached the tee box, stuck the tee into the ground, placed the ball purposefully on the tee, stood up and declared to my fellow golfers, “This ball represents Harry Reid.”  After which I put my head down, eyed the ball, reviewed in my mind Harry’s political pranks,  drew my club back, took a full, smooth swing and…………….SMACK!!!!!!!!!!!………………….that little ball sailed off the tee and took flight high into the sky and landed 250 yards right in the middle of the fairway!!!!!!  (okay, okay, I got carried away for a second……..the ball only went about 150 yards, but it felt like a hundred more!!! ). Each hole thereafter, I continued to use my arsenal of political foes to better my golf game and you .know what???  It worked!  So, I will give credit where credit is due…..thank you to Nancy Pelosi, Valerie Jarrett, Arne Duncan, Lois Lerner, Al Sharpton, Hillary Clinton, Chris Mathews, Eric Holder, Chuck Hagel…………you made my day :) (Please note that I purposefully left out the President – out of respect for the office!)

This past month has also concluded my brother, Bobby’s treatments for his cancer which was diagnosed ten months ago.  Through the many prayers of family and friends, and God’s infinite grace and mercy, he has finished a six-week round of combination radiation/chemotherapy, followed two months later by a six-hour surgery, followed by an additional eight rounds of chemotherapy……..all while continuing to hold down his full-time job at the OSU golf course.  He has one more surgery to go at the end of August, and then he can finally echo St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7…….. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”  His journey has truly been inspiring to all of us for he has rarely, if ever complained.  Early on in his treatment, he made a conscious decision to allow himself an occasional brief period of time to feel sorry about his situation, and then he would give himself a pep talk (or has Crick would say he, “would be glad he was able to put his two feet on the floor”)  and begin again to embrace life, one day, one moment, at a time.  Bobby has an infectious and self-deprecating sense of humor that lifts up everyone around him………even his oncology surgeon has marveled at how his “optimistic” attitude has enabled him to rise above the physical challenges of the past year.  A case in point, is that just three weeks after his 8th chemo treatment, Bobby is planning a twenty-five mile bike ride to raise money for the annual Pelatonia race to cure cancer.  The picture above is of his great-nieces and great-nephews as they conducted a bake sale/lemonade stand following the end of their vacation bible school week in which they raised $300.00 to donate toward Bobby’s Pelatonia goal.  The riders commit to riding a certain number of miles and agree to fund-raise a specific amount of which 100% goes directly to fund Ohio State researchers whose goal is to cure all cancers.  Bobby has raised $1900.00 so far which is $700.00 over his stated goal.  Way to go Bobby……..you are our hero ♥!!  The Schultheis family has their cancer hero also…………my notorious brother-in-law, Mark who has been undergoing treatment since January for non-small cell lung cancer.  He too has just finished a rigorous radiation/chemotherapy regimen while also having had to battle back from two different bouts of pneumonia.  Mark has always adopted a rather deceptively quiet and reserved persona which completely belies his mischievous propensity for picking on such a sweet, charming, demure, sister-in-law as myself!  It has been well documented in previous blogs his gleeful delight in watching my reactions as I come upon the disgusting plastic roaches that he sneaks into rooms I am about to occupy or creeping up behind me with wispy branches to brush across my neck so that I scream and jump as if I am being attacked by some vile, furry insect or animal.  He also has this uncanny knack for jinxing my beloved Ohio State basketball team.  It often happens that whenever Mark watches the Bucks play, they end up losing!!!   In spite of all his brother-in-law failings LOL, I have to confess that I kinda’ ♥ the guy…………..I feel that I can safely say that, because he never, ever reads this blog!!  LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the pièce de résistance of this post (LOL).   While looking for my lipstick in a small make-up bag which I keep in my purse, I discovered what I at first thought must be a quarter.  When I pulled it out and looked at it, I saw that it was one of those pocket coins that usually has some scripture verse or inspiration quote on one side.  I looked down to see the insignia of a rose petal on the one side and when I flipped it over, I saw the inscription “Dear Husband”. Now what makes this so remarkable to me is that a few hours earlier I had been out running a few errands and had experienced one of my wistful moments when I felt this strong need for Crick’s presence.  Any way, what is curious about the pocket coin is the fact that I have no recollection of where it came from or how it got into my cosmetic bag, of all places.  Now I am not intimating that there was something magical about its appearance (I may be a “nut”, but I am not a lunatic!!), but, I have been racking my old brain trying to remember the circumstance for when I would have purchased such a coin. Perhaps I bought it to give to Crick when he left for Kosovo and only recently rediscovered it as I was searching for something and then just tossed it in………my cosmetic bag????  I am quite sure there is a logical explanation for its appearance, however, the timing of my finding it and the significance of “Dear Husband”, my Caringbridge acronym for Crick, is what is so astonishing to me.  For in that moment that I turned the coin over to read “Dear Husband”…….Crick was present to me in a way that I can not explain.  It is in rare moments such as this that I remember what someone once told me shortly after Crick’s death……..that it is when, through our prayer life, we become open to the very real Presence of God in our lives, that we can truly see how God, who knows our every need, sends us that grace (in a variety of “messages”) in which we find His peace and hope.

As you listen to birds calling to one another, hear also My Love-call to you.  I speak to you continually:  through sights, sounds, thoughts, impressions, scriptures.  There is no limit to the variety of ways I can communicate with you.  Your part is to be attentive to My messages, in whatever form they come.  When you set out to find Me in a day, you discover that the world is vibrantly alive with My Presence.  You can find Me not only in beauty and bird-calls, but also in tragedy and faces filled with grief.  I can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.

Search for Me and My messages, as you go through this day.  You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your whole being.                                 from Jesus Calling

When you call to me and come and pray to me, I shall listen to you.  When you search for me, you will find me; when you search wholeheartedly for me.             Jeremiah 29:12-13

TNT

TGW

P.S.  I must remind myself to stop reading news articles before going to bed……the other night I had a dream about Al Sharpton!!!!!

P.P.S.  That was no dream……………..that was a nightmare!!!!!!

Whenever I am struggling to find a way to begin my blog, I know that I can always count on Calvin to provide me with an opening!!!  Ah yes, I have been coming a bit too close to Calvin’s philosophy this past week as I have begun my yearly proclamation to various family and friends about the fact that while the weather is getting a bit sunnier and warmer here in the Buckeye state, in another seventeen days, the days will start getting shorter…….and shorter……..and shorter!!!!  Why, oh why, am I the glass half-empty, OCD, worrier extraordinaire???  Why, when I was standing in the personality traits line before my birth, did I not realize that there was another personality line that I should have been in……..you know, the one where God was handing out the glass half-full, I don’t give a care, “whatever”, life is a beach traits??????

Well, well, well……………here it is twenty days later and I am just now returning to my blog!!!   And, as of today, you can shave six minutes from your daylight schedule!!!  Hey!  I simply refer you back to the opening paragraph………..as Popeye was want to say, “I am what I am”!!!!

So, just in case you may be wondering what has kept me away so long, I can sum it up in two words…..family and politics!!!  (fair warning!!!)

Family 

It seems like we wait with such anticipation for the lazy, hazy days of summer, that when they finally arrive, they fly by in a flurry of graduations, birthday, anniversary, and wedding celebrations.  Throw in vacations (for some of us that simply means no grocery shopping/no cooking, hence no “pot of boiling water”!), outdoor activities (for some of us that means, mowing, mulching, weeding!), baseball/softball leagues (for some of us that means…….a fair-weather spectator!!), and just effortlessly hanging out at the swimming pool (for some of us that truly means “hanging out”…….. ha, ha, ha!!). What I am attempting to convey is a longing for the “good old days” where paradise was sitting on the front porch, sipping on a glass of ice-cold lemonade with not a thing in the world to do…………….just the lost art of “being still”!!

In a large family such as ours, one’s “being” is hardly ever permitted to be “still”!  This month alone we celebrated Luke’s 10th birthday, Olivia’s 8th grade graduation, Kathy and Bob’s 30th wedding anniversary, Dylan and Nick’s high school graduations (sorry to have had to miss Nick’s party), and Erin’s college graduation.  Kathy and Bob’s surprise party was attended by aunts, uncles and cousins from hither and yon and from the ages of 7 months old to 90 years young.  The very youngest generation was having a difficult time distinguishing between a first cousin, second cousin, or a first cousin once removed; also between an aunt/uncle, great-aunt/uncle, or great-great aunt/uncle!!!!  I was quite disappointed that I, myself, was never confused with anyone in the millennial generation!!  LOL  The celebration was held outside at a small park which showed great potential for lots of outdoor summer games…..basketball, badminton, frisbee, croquet, wiffle ball…….but just as the party was to begin, the Ohio weather turned ugly………and I do mean ugly!!!  The rain came down, the wind picked up……fortunately we had a wonderful shelter house to protect us from the rain, but instead of looking for ways to cool off as one expects in June, everyone was looking for ways to stay warm.  We were grateful that my cousin, Greg (California) had been visiting his Mom and so he drove her to Columbus from her home in North Carolina.  Aunt Jeanne hadn’t seen anyone for a couple of years so she had plenty of catching up to do.  Another Clark/Scully/Heubel get-together is planned for this weekend……….guess that about sums up the definition of never-ending!!

 

The biggest gathering of all occurred on June 14th at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in our nation’s capital where my brother, Jimmy’s service and sacrifice were finally honored at the 16th annual “In Memory Day Tribute”.  Our family is so very grateful to our nephew, Eric (U.S. Air Force, active member) whose dedication to honoring Jimmy’s memory made this tribute possible.  To provide some important background on this special honor……..Jimmy  stepped on a land mine while out on a search and destroy mission with the 1st Air Cavalry three months after arriving in Vietnam in 1967. He suffered shrapnel wounds all over his body, but particularly his head, brain and legs. He lost one eye and was left with very limited vision in the other. He spent two months in a hospital in Japan and then another year at Walter Reed. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1968 with 100% disability. Through the years he learned to accept and to overcome many of his debilitating injuries. In March, 1984 (the same month in which he was born and injured) he suffered a brain aneurysm and died within hours at the age of thirty-seven. The military and the medical community could never agree that his aneurysm was a direct result of the injuries he sustained in Vietnam and therefore his name was rejected for inscription on the Wall. This ceremony is for all of those Vietnam Vets who have passed away since the end of the war with inconclusive or questionable causes of their death. For example, many of those honored this year had died recently of certain cancers which in some medical circles have been attributed to Agent Orange. Eric discovered the “In Memory Day” tribute on a website and submitted the necessary paperwork to have Jimmy’s name placed with these other Vets whose sacrifice is finally being recognized.  We are so appreciative of the Vietnam Memorial Fund organizers whose efforts are bringing peace and closure to so many deserving families.  And so, with a “small” contingent of Clarks (48) and our Scully cousins; Dennis, David, Dick, Bernadette and Kate, along with life-long family friend, Anne we descended upon D.C. to not only participate in the “In Memory Day”, but to tour the national museums, Arlington National Cemetery and the many memorials.  All in all, it was an unforgettable weekend despite the sometimes chaotic, impromptu plans, and the occasional miscommunication which caused some minor distress.   What?????  The Clark family is chaotic????  Flies by the seats of their pants??????????? Communicates by “word of mouth”, much like the old game of “telephone” whereby the ending message is nothing like the beginning???????  LOL!!  Oh yes……………..the D.C. cab drivers and bus drivers will never, ever, ever be quite the same again!!!!

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 And you know what became the real wonder of the D.C. trip????? That this “right-wing nut”   managed to spend an entire three nights in our nation’s capital, walk past the IRS building, the Capital and the White House and never once pulled out her soapbox!!!! Which conveniently brings me to       …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Politics

Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see the expressions on the faces of all my dear family, who have read this far!!!!!!!!  I ventured into this topic only to share that my four half-days/month job and the myriad of family responsibilities and activities are not the only reasons for my six week absence.  The world often appears to be spinning out of control and over the past six years I have watched as many forces have been colluding to bring that same instability to our country.  And so, in my OCD need to understand and to know, I spend incredible amounts of time reading and researching everything from Common Core, Obamacare and illegal immigration to the IRS, NSA, VA, Benghazi, and Fast and Furious scandals.  I know that many of us share differing political views on a wide range of issues, but I would hope that there is agreement among us all that the Constitution which delineates the national frame of our government must be protected.  To quote Patrick Henry, ” the Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”   And now my dear family, you may all relax, I will hereby honor this quote which was presented to me by………….now I can’t even remember who wanted me to have this so much that they actually paid for it………….or………..maybe in a rare moment of self-awareness, I bought it for myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I must say one last thing in my defense :), and that is that Crick must share part of the blame for my over zealous judgements……………….politics, religion, the culture…………..as I have always, always, always been a most opinionated person (are your jaws dropping right now?? :) ), and now he is not here to “put his hand over my mouth” !!!!  What I mean is that he had a way……… (infuriating to me as it was at the time)…. of presenting that glass half-full attitude to me that prevented me from taking myself, and events swirling around me, too seriously.  How I would love to ask him what he thinks about the events in the Middle East, the VA scandal or our Commander-In-Chief !!  As it is, some nights, I will find myself in a one way “discussion” with him, and then I will think about the fact that he is in a place where he already knows the answers!!  He has one-upped me yet again!!!  I take consolation, however, in the knowledge that one day we are going to meet again, and this I promise everyone……… if there is a Main Street in heaven…………………………………………there will be a “discussion”!!!!!  LOL

Once again, while searching my devotional for a spiritual message with which to close this post, I just happened upon this particular reading.  Coincidence??  I think rather that God and Crick lovingly conspired to bring me some peace tonight :)!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.  This planet you inhabit is in such a big mess that sometimes you feel overwhelmed.  Just watching the news on television can make you anxious.  World events and economies seem to be spinning out of control more and more.  This is why it’s so very important to focus on Me and consider who I am:  the Beginning and the End.  I – the Creator of this planet – transcend time.  I know the end of this world’s story just as well as I know its beginning.

I not only know how everything will turn out, but I am absolutely Sovereign.  I am the Almighty; nothing is beyond My control.  The more helpless you feel as you face the challenges in your life, the more comforting it is to trust that I am all-powerful.  Remember that I am also compassionate.  I am the Lord who comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.  You can transcend your troubles because I am both powerful and compassionate.  So you have good reason to rejoice; sometimes you may even burst into song!                                            from Jesus Today

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”              Psalm 91:1-2

TNT

TGW