Trippin To Texoma

Wednesday, Brian and I are meeting up with my two brothers, their sons and our dad to make our annual father/son/grandson fishing trip to Lake Texoma on the Red River which borders Texas and Oklahoma. The striper fishing is always great this time of year, and we're hoping to limit out each day that we're down there. Here's a sampling of fish we caught last year.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Texoma we go!!

De Colores

Memorial Day

As Memorial Day approaches on Monday, my thoughts turn to the memories of people who have impacted my life and who are no longer with us on this earth.

Mom
Viola
Grandpa & Grandma Fruechting
Grandpa Z
Uncle Duane
The faithful pillars of the Aulne Church community
Charlie Haines

These and many others helped mold and shape me into the person I am today. For their lives and their influence on mine, I will always be grateful.

On Memorial Day as well as Veteran's Day, I can't help but look at my dad, and well up with pride. He was (and always will be) a Marine. He served his country with pride, and did what he was asked to do to give me the opportunities that I have today in a free country. Many of his buddies, as well as many, many more in past and present conflicts gave the ultimate sacrifice. To them I will always be grateful.

I'll go to the cemetery, place some flowers at mom's and Viola's graves, look at the Avenue of Flags in honor of the veterans and whisper a soft and heart felt "thank you".

De Colores

All League Honors

Last night at the MHS Athletic Banquet, it was announced that Brian was named as an Honorable Mention selection to the all MCAA league baseball team as a first baseman. As a sophomore, he finished the regular seaon with a .444 batting average. He had 17 singles, 9 doubles, a triple and a home run. He had 24 RBI's. His fielding percentage at first base was excellent at .981, only committing one error all season.

Congratulations Brian!!

De Colores

Car Crazy!!

Look out world, Brian's got his first set of wheels!! The streets of Marion won't be safe any longer!! He is finding that dragging Main isn't near as fun when gas is nearly $4 a gallon. He's going to have to mow a lot of yards this summer to keep it filled!!

Where has the time gone? Just a few short years ago, he was a shy little kid who we had to pry loose from us to do something, now he's anxious to jump in his car and head out on the town!!

SIGH.....

De Colores

Pomp & Circumstance

This weekend, high school graduation ceremonies will take place in towns all across America. Here in our little church community at Aulne, Ethan Riggs and Austin Percell will make that walk across the stage, receive their diplomas and close a chapter in their young lives. A new and exciting chapter will soon be opened for them. As you watch them walk across that stage, look at their faces. What are they thinking? "I'm so glad this is finally over!" "Now what am I going to do?" "Please God, don't let me trip!" "Did I brush my teeth this morning?" "I wonder if anyone knows I'm wearing shorts under this gown!"

Graduates, I know you have probably heard this a thousand times by now, but I'll say it again. If you fail to do anything else, please remember to keep God in the forefront of your lives. Without Him to center on, the new challenges and stresses in life can easily consume and discourage you. Remember, God knows you better than anyone else, and He loves you. He has a plan for you. One of my favorite scripture passages is from Jeremiah 29. It goes like this...11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Graduates, seek God with all your heart. You will be blessed beyond measure. Congratulations to you all, and I wish you much success as you continue in this crazy and exciting journey called life.

De Colores

End Of The Road

Sadly, the Marion Warriors baseball season came to an end last night at the Regional tournament. The Warriors were in the lead until a disasterous 4th inning. Too many errors led to too many runs, and they could not dig themselves out of the hole they dug. They finished on the short end of a 4-6 score. Brian pitched well, only giving up 3 earned runs and striking out 5. His season batting average was .431, pretty good, especially for a sophomore!! They finished the season with a 6-13 record. Not good, but when compared to their 1-18 record last year, it seemed pretty successful!! They 'll be returning all but 2 starters next year, and hopefully will continue to build the program.

He was mad for about an hour, then thoughts of the summer league baseball season started running through his head, and he is ready to go again!! The first game is in a couple of weeks, so I would guess he'll be getting a phone call from the coach soon about getting together to start practice.....

Here we go again!!

De Colores

Happy Mother's Day

Since I'm not going to be around a computer this weekend, I thought I would share a few thoughts on Mother's Day a little early.

Lori and I will be celebrating the first Mother's Day without either of our mothers. My mom passed away in 1995 from cancer. She was a devoted wife and mother, working tirelessly on the farm. She help with the daily grind of gathering eggs from 10,000+ chickens, wiped many a dirty nose, sewed patches on worn out jeans, took lunches out to the fields, fixed about a million meals, consoled us when we were hurt or scared, and all the while kept her dignity in the midst of it all. She had a servant's heart, and loved to take her grand daughters on outings whenever she could. She loved dad, and always looked forward to the time when they could slow down a little and travel and share time with him. Unfortunately, cancer invaded her body, and ultimately she succumbed to it. She passed away in 1995 at age 57. Cancer took her life, but it could not, however, take her soul.

Viola Kelsey, Lori's mom was a classy and elegant lady. When she was in a room, she could say so much without saying anything at all. She loved sitting in her home watching her 9 children and literally dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren. She would just smile and soak it all in. She was the matriarch of the family. She was widowed in 1973 when her husband was killed in a construction accident. She raised Lori, her older sister and younger brother by herself, never complaining about life or the hardships she had to endure. She had the patience of Job. She endured raising 9 children, heart bypass surgery, cancer, and several other illnesses. She lost her battle with congestive heart failure this past February. She was 82.

Mom and Viola, we love you and we miss you. We will always miss you. We will cherish every thought and memory we have been blessed with. Thank you for being our mothers. Until we meet again, may God hold you both in the palms of His almighty, tender and loving hands.

Happy Mothers Day

De Colores

End Of The Day

Ahhhhh, what a great way to end a busy weekend. A beautiful sunset, a fire in the chiminea, my favorite beverage, and my lovely wife by my side. Life doesn't get any better than this!!

Got a busy week ahead; Relay For Life committee meeting this evening, last MHS regular season baseball games on Tuesday, mowing yards on Wednesday, and an MHS Pops music concert on Thursday. Friday we're heading to KC to go to a Gaither Reunion concert at the Sprint Center, a Christmas present from our kids!! They've even made reservations for us at the Hyatt for the night!!

We'll probably stop in Manhattan on our way home Saturday and spend the night with Amanda and Chad, and then go to church with them on Sunday and celebrate Mother's Day with them.

Hmmmm, busy week, makes me start thinking about a beautiful sunset, a fire in the chiminea, my favorite beverage, and my lovely wife by my side...........life doesn't get any better than this!!

De Colores

A Sweep Of Hillsboro !!

Our MHS baseball team pulled off perhaps the upset of the season by going to our arch rivals Hillsboro last night and taking both games of a doubleheader with them. They had beat us earlier in the season, and looking at their record compared to ours, we shouldn't have stood a chance.

In game one, Brian started out on the mound. It was probably his rockiest start of the season, and at the end of 5 innings, we found ourselves down 9-3. The young Warriors never gave up, and came back in the 6th and 7th innings to tie the game at 10-10, and won it in the 9th inning 11-10! Brian knocked in the tying run in the 7th to send it to extra innings.

In game two, they jumped on Hillsboro's starting pitcher and never let up. They won it by a final score of 9-6. Brian was 5 for 8 from the plate, and also walked twice. He had 5 RBI's on the night.

Their record still isn't good (6-12), but for a few magical hours last night, it was like they won the state championship!! Way to go boys!!

De Colores

May Day

Today is May Day!! I am so glad that our wet, cold April is over with. Maybe we can finally start to see some real spring time weather. I can't remember how long ago it's been that the trees have taken this long to leaf out.

I Googled May Day and found that its origins go way back to the Druids and the Romans. It is a pagan holiday, and was filled with celebration and revelry. Traditions included running their cattle through a fire to "cleanse" them, and couples would run through the smoke in hopes of it bringing them good luck. Flowers were a big part of their ceremonies. Flora, the godess of flowers was worshiped. It has never really taken hold in the Western culture, certainly not to the extent that it was back during it's origins.

My fondest memory of May Day goes WAY back to my youth. People in the elementary grades were chosen to wind the May Pole. I actually was chosen once, and got to participate. Best part, it was done with boys and girls!! I can remember winding the May Pole with the ribbons. Several times, we had to stop, back up to untangle the ribbons and then go again. I think I was only asked to do it once. Imagine that!!

May Day has a special significance for a good friend of mine. His father was a Navy pilot in WWII. He was shot down while on a mission, but miraculously survived and was rescued. When a pilot was shot down, he would call out "MAY DAY, MAY DAY on his radio to indicate he was in trouble. Every May 1, his family would get together and celebrate his service to his country. They had a lot of film footage of his takeoffs and landings on his Navy carriers, and they would show these pictures at each gathering. He passed away from cancer several years ago, but the family still gets together every year to celebrate "May Day" in his memory and honor.

Happy May Day, bring on the spring time and flowers!!

De Colores