Jethro's World

Spring Is Springing

Spring is springing. I can feel it. The days are getting longer, the grass is getting greener, and the sun is actually shining. Yesterday it was clear and cold in the morning (we call it Alberta weather -- it's absolutely beautiful) and warm and sunny in the afternoon -- it hit 60 degrees (OK, that isn't Alberta weather). Some of Steph's flowers are even starting to bloom.

Crocus in bloom.

Not only is my lawn getting greener, it is also getting longer. With the threat of even more sunshine next week, I didn't want to risk having 12" tall grass when we get back from Victoria (more on that later). So, I mowed my lawn for the first time this year. Our back lawn is usually very muddy (Molalla clay) this time of year, but it actually wasn't too bad. And, thanks to my late fall spraying and edging, the whole yard is actually in really good shape. Now if we can just get through the spring without three months of solid rain...

The yard looks good for February, but the shed needs a scrubbin'.

We are off to Victoria for a week -- yee haw! We are meeting Steph's parents for a week of relaxation and site-seeing. Family friend Laurel Pritchard will also be joining us this weekend. I have never been to Victoria, and am quite looking forward to it. On the way back, we will be visiting Todd & Shelley and family -- we are very much looking forward to having the cousins together again.

Well, I guess this is it until next week. If I can find an internet cafe (mmm... coffee), I may just make a midweek entry (maybe even with photos of Victoria) -- we'll see...

Happy Valentine's Day

I hated Valentine's Day when I was younger. It wasn't until I was twenty two years old that I actually had a Valentine on Valentine's Day -- and then I married her. Now I will always have a Valentine. Happy Valentine's Day Stephanie, I love you!

It may be a "made-up Hallmark holiday" (to quote Ron Kropf), but it is still nice to know you are loved and appreciated. So, to all those who stumble across my little weblog today:

I Hope You Dance

This entry is dedicated to Noah:

One of the greatest joys of fatherhood is dancing with my little boy. Many evenings you can find us dancing around the family room with the subwoofer rumbling. If a song comes on without much of a beat, Noah will make me turn the radio station until we find a good song. Then he cranks up the volume.

Friday night is dance party night at the local Eighties radio station and we just got done dancing to Vanilla Ice, Baltimora, and even some early Michael Jackson. Sometimes Noah shows off his solo moves, and sometimes he wants to be swung around in one (or both :-) of his parent's arms. He's not usually content with just dancing with Papa -- he usually wants his Mama to join in the fun as well.

Every time we dance, a song goes through my head:

I Hope You Dance

Performed by: Lee Ann Womack
Lyrics by: Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give fate a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their years and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their years and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

It is a beautiful song in every sense of the word -- even the video is beautiful.

I so love the short snippets of time that I get to dance with Steph and Noah. They are some of the few moments in my life when I feel totally free and full of joy. There are times when I'm tired and just want to sit it out, but I am continually rewarded by choosing to dance.

Noah, I love your joyful disposition and your free spirit - may they always be a part of who you are. When life throws a few hurdles your way, I hope you dance right through them!

Love,

Papa

Remodelling

After all these months with the same old "Times New Roman" font, I have decided it's time for a change. The main title on both this and Noah's site have been modified to better reflect who we are. I have also added several new links (and link categories) to my sidebar, so be sure to check them out. And as you may have noticed, I have also changed most of the fonts to "Verdana".

So, what do you think of the changes? Do I need more contrast between the entry titles and the body of text?

Running a Marathon

My sister Shelley is running a marathon. No she isn’t an olympic athlete or a fitness guru -- she is a woman on a mission to help research, prevent, and treat the effects of strokes.

On June 19th, 2005; Shelley will participate in the American Stroke Association’s Train To End Stroke fundraising marathon in Kona, Hawaii.

Why is she going to such lengths for this cause? Because her son Clayton (my nephew) suffered a stroke early in life. To learn more, please click on Clayton’s photo below to visit Shelley’s personal web page and help in her efforts to support the ASA:

My nephew Clayton. (please click photo)

From Shelley's email:

Get ready for some shocking news! I am training to run a 26.2 mile MARATHON to benefit the American Stroke Association.

No, I haven’t lost my mind! By joining the American Stroke Association’s Train To End Stroke program, I have a coach, a team, training schedules, clinics, and a reason that makes this more than a personal goal. I am helping to raise funds for stroke research, education, and advocacy programs.

The following are some stroke statistics of which you may not be aware...

Every 45 seconds someone suffers a stroke
Every 3.1 minutes someone dies of a stroke
There are 4.4 million stroke survivors
29% of people who have strokes are under age 65.

Over the course of the next 5 months, I will be running hundreds of miles to prepare. I will also be busy raising thousands of dollars for the American Stroke Association. I am writing to ask for your support in this effort through your good thoughts and through your generous contribution to the American Stroke Association.

I am excited about participating in this event on behalf of many who couldn’t even walk it due to a stroke. Please join me in reaching the finish line of my fundraising goal and helping end stroke.

P.S. Although the marathon is not until June 2005, my plan is to have my fundraising goal met by May 17, 2005. Your tax-deductible contribution, sent as soon as possible, is greatly appreciated! Every dollar makes a difference toward stroke research and education. If your company has a matching gift program, please send me the matching gift form along with your check and potentially double your donation!

Please help in this fight against stroke.

In A Fog

I don't normally complain about much here on my weblog, as I really want it to have a positive rather than a negative nature. But today I have to get on my high horse.

The last few mornings have been very foggy here in the Willamette Valley -- foggy enough that the National Weather Service has issued a Dense Fog Advisory:

... Dense fog advisory remains in effect until 11 am PST Thursday for the central Willamette Valley and the south Willamette Valley...

The National Weather Service in Portland has continued a dense fog
advisory for the central and southern Willamette Valley tonight
through 11 am Thursday. Visibilities will occasionally be below one
quarter mile. At 1130 PM visibilities had already dropped to one
quarter mile or less at many locations including Eugene..Salem...
McMinnville... and Corvallis.

Use caution and slow down while driving through the central and
southern Willamette Valley tonight and Thursday morning as objects
and pedestrians along the roadways will be difficult to see.

To top off the dense fog, temperatures have also been at or below freezing -- producing spotty areas of freezing fog (but mainly just on things like my pickup's running boards). In conditions like this, I tend to slow down a few miles per hour from normal clear, dry conditions (or in Oregon; warm, rainy conditions). It was foggy enough this morning that I was not able to dodge the fat skunk waddling down the middle of the road. Even at 45 MPH, all I had time to do was straddle him -- but I still got the poor fellow.

My complaint is not with the fog. I know how to deal with the fog. I grew up with the fog. I know how to drive in the fog -- but obviously some Oregonians do not know how to drive in the fog.

Each of the last two mornings on my way into work, I have been passed in the fog. I don't mean by cars going the other way; I mean by impatient, over-sleeping, in-a-hurry drivers tailgating and then passing when they don't see any headlights coming at them through the fog. Both times I was going 50 MPH, which is probably too fast for the conditions to start with.

To those persons who like to pass in the fog:
Is it really so important to get to work on time that you would risk your life (and others' lives) by passing in the fog? Plan ahead next time. If you know it's going to be foggy (and other drivers will be going slower than normal), leave the house a few minutes earlier. Life is short enough as it is; why try to shorten it any more than you have to?

Thus endeth a rant.