Chief

10 feet by 10 feet. 
On the asphalt street. 
In Chalk Pastels.
In Marietta, Georgia.

Oh, with a broken, displaced rib.
And several rain delays, over two days.


Indeed, this was not the easiest chalking I have ever done, but it was fun. It feels wonderful to be creative and I needed this little vacation.

Motivation: I have a lot of relatives in the greater Atlanta area and sometimes it is just a lot of fun to see family, get those wonderful hugs, and just reminisce. 

That is what got me in the car in the first place, because I really don't like driving more than an hour at a time.  But chalking friends - yes, that too. They are a fun group of people.  All that creativity in one place...just wow! 

Roger encouraged me to go last year, August 2013, but it was just too hot. I decided then that chalking a body outline on the pavement was probably not a good idea, so I passed.  I endured the Florida heat instead - indoors. 

Marietta was beautiful. The festival was great. 
Halloween was their theme and we were challenged to incorporate the sponsor logo into the design. 
I had two. Hilton Conference Center (Wow - comped rooms!) and the historic Strand Theatre. 
I promised Emily that I would chalk her - huge and in living color, no less!  She decided to be a Fire Chief for their halloween fun. Roger would have gotten a great kick out of it too!

With her fire bucket, there should be lots of sugar to put out those tummy fires, right? 

Between the rain, the broken rib, and some unplanned design edits, it came off ok. The proportion was off, but hey, call it a cartoon. Ribs are more painful than one might think! But it is bright!

And the man in the moon? That is Mr. Hilton.  
My first thought was to put Roger there...but it was too soon....I knew I would cry too much. Maybe one day.... He would like the humor. 

I even had a few tickets dropped in my bucket for 'People's Choice" - well, how about that?!

And people always ask - 
"How long does it stay here?"
It is a road. Till they move the barricades and the cars roll through.
Actually the street sweeper came through after dark.

"How can you stand to have it just erased like that?
Well, just like life, it is temporary.  
You do your best for today and keep your eye on the end of the journey.
You have to let go of perfectionism because when time is up, you can't do any more.

And when I think about it...

Roger's Lesson:
That is exactly what Roger would say about this journey we call life.
Temporary - eyes on the end of the journey - use time wisely, do your best and don't focus on what you can not change. Keep looking forward - the reward is great if you head to the right destination.   (Which is Heaven, of course - and the Way - well, that's in Jesus!)

The morning after drive-by...
not much more than a shadow, a memory.

I'm glad my memories last longer than chalk. 

It's My Pleasure

Oh, for the love of...politics. Roger and I had that in common, though he knew a whole lot more than I ever will. He had this mental capacity to remember and analyze all kinds of information.

Ask him to name countries in the world. He knew the ones we never heart of. And their capitals. And their leaders. 

Ask him to discuss just about any issue and he knew both sides and analyzed them well. Yes, he had his personal opinions, but he generally knew all sides of any issue. 

Ask him about anyone in office and there was a pretty fair chance that he knew more than any of us really cared to know.


Ask him his opinion on a vote - and he could cover any and all of the issues - and candidates.

Ask him who he was willing to support with time and money. Well, those were few.  I can name only one or two. I can always name Webster. As in Daniel Webster. As in US Congressman Daniel Webster. 

Roger was always on Team Webster because he knew Dan's values, he knew Dan's heart, and he knew that Dan was doing what he was doing because God called him to step up to the plate and do it. And he was proud to be part of Team Webster and he practically owned Precinct 129. Roger made it his business to try his best to visit every single home in Precinct 129, and catch people on the street too! 

Ah - and therein lies my failure. I am just not the people person that Roger was. I mean well, but striking up conversations with random people is not my strength. But I will stand in his place at the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 4.  I will do my best to be among the first to cast my vote to keep Congressman Daniel Webster in office. He has EARNED it!  That is a very rare thing in our election process, of course!  I'll be in Webster BLUE and be holding the fort for Roger! 

But when Congressman Webster's office calls, I try to be quick to answer.  In fact, I keep painting because I really really, really, really want to paint his Presidential portrait one day.  Hey - dream big! It is a bigger dream for me to paint his portrait than it is to imagine him as President! I hope it happens before the demise of this once great country! 

Congressman Webster is also a generous man and does so much for his constituents. He answered the call to participate in a project to feed the homeless and asked me to paint the bowl. (Ah! We all have limitations and in the same way that I know who to call when I have AC issues, he knows who to call when he needs art!) What an honor!  Of course, it was a new type of ceramic paint and I am admittedly a little rusty, but I knew that Roger would have said - DO IT!  He would have willingly eaten out for a week so I could paint my little heart away.  

It was much needed therapy for me as well. I have to admit that it took me back to that day, back in the 1980's when a group of friends sat around the pool, watching the kids swim, when "Danny from Pine Hills" shared this idea he had about running for office. (I know why now, but I don't imagine it sunk in much at the time.)  I think that Roger - and maybe Debbie were the only ones who were actually excited about his idea. The rest of us likely saw a lot of work and less playtime ahead of us.  Most of us never gave much more than a passing thought to politics, though we always did our civic duty and voted. 

Of course, tears welled up as the memories returned, for I could still see it in my mind, as if it were yesterday.  But like sunshine after the rain, the tears quickly changed to tears of joy because it was Roger who desperately believed this was a good idea and a good thing for the family to be involved in. Yes, little girls could 'Walk for Webster' too!

Though Dan has been in office for quite a while, he is nothing like what you would call a 'career politician." I guess he is in the history books by now - Florida History, the political kind, at least.  He has weathered many storms involving such negativity, and yet he has never succumbed to negativity himself or in his campaigns. What a breath of fresh air! 

Roger loved the years when we needed to campaign hard. I loved the years when there was no opponent. Roger loved to talk to people, I was always willing to cater a party.  Indeed, we all have our strengths.  Dan lost a great campaigner in February, but had Roger been able to tell him, I just know that he would have said that he would have more and better campaigners to follow.  He knew that he was only doing his little part in the big picture of life. 

I count it an honor to be at the polls on Tuesday to cast my vote for Daniel Webster. I surely do hope that Precinct 129 turns out in force too! I'll be in Roger's spot at the Town Hall, waving that blue sign! 

Roger's Lesson:  This is easy. This country is still great and it is our job to keep it great. That can only be done by putting honorable men and women in office. Look for the character rather than the marketing. And get involved by spreading the word because most people do appreciate knowing when there is a truly honorable candidate out there. 

Yep ....back in the 1980's Dan ran on "Honesty, Integrity, and Leadership" - his first political slogan.  He could still run on it today.  Today he is in DC - that place that is broken.  (America is not broken, Washington is -   oh how true.)  And though we never hear it on tv, we know that little by little, good things can and do happen in DC.  Roger was so proud of his friend Dan and the work he is doing. 

I sure hope his memory is prodding people to vote on election day. I will be quite busy in Precinct 129 on Saturday.  

And the bowl - (It is about 12-15 inches across - a pasta type bowl) - Nice and shiny all fired up! Not too bad for freehand art. 

It was my pleasure to serve. 

And I absolutely know that Roger would be thrilled to have a certain friend as First Lady - even though she got the last word. 
Well done, SJW! 

Prints: Hands and Feet!

It's always fun to pick Emily up after school. This year we do the car line.  Juci is weak and does not like to stand in the heat at the pavilion.  Also, they blocked off my parking spot. 

Ro-Ro would arrive an hour before pickup. I used to think it was so that he got a great parking place, but I came to realize that it was so he could chat with the neighbors before pickup. 

He was great at pickup and I hope Emily always remembers that he chose to pick her up from school on Feb. 10 and THEN go for his run, rather than saying that he needed to run and could not pick her up. 

She is a pretty special little gal. 

Roger also had three PO boxes. He had his quirks. Our 'NEW' Post Office never grew on him. He always liked it when the tiny little PO was at Fifth and Main, by the Town Hall. It was a friendly little place with benches and room to chat.  It was business, but it was also a really friendly place. 

When they closed down our little Post Office, he tried to get his box. They would not let him even buy it. "It must go to the storage unit" they said - really? Who was going to put those OLD TIMEY boxes in a new post office?   Maybe American Pickers will find them one day. 

We only had one mailbox back then, but when the NEW Post Office opened, he rented THREE - and not in a row either!   Why?  

"Well, I know the girls are little now, but one day, they might want to live in town and those "not real TOWN OF Windermere" people will have taken all the boxes. I can't have that!" 

I guess he was right. They never did do like Doritos and just make more.  And the girls really did move back into town.  That they like the mail delivered at the street made no difference. 

So, we still pick up the mail in three different boxes. Emily loves it. She has them memorized and although I only seem to manage a trip down there once a week, she loves to go with me.  

Roger checked the mail three times a day. Once early - in case they had an easy morning and were ahead of schedule. Once around noon - when the box was full. Once in the late afternoon or evening - just in case they missed anything. 

It is no wonder that there is a thumbprint on only three mailboxes in the whole post office. He wore the finish off of those boxes! No wonder Emily can spot them so fast! 

Roger's Lesson:  "Ya never know!"   Plan ahead. You never know when you will need something that is no longer available.

Unless it looks like I am going broke, I'll keep paying the rent on Roger's three boxes. It's a legacy, I suppose. He did not invest in technology, but he surely did invest in something that most people don't even use anymore - times three! 

But it makes me laugh, and while we get a lot of junk mail, once in a while there are these great deals where we get triple the really great coupons!  And then we get one in the box at the street too!

I'm glad the dumbest little things make me laugh.  Roger left his thumbprint behind where we could see it - but it reminds me that he left some pretty great footprints behind too - so that we may follow in his footsteps. 

Is Water on It?

I have definitely not forgotten him, and it really hit home this evening.  

Reverting back to my typical 'busy' self, I withdrew into my own little projects, which included curling up on the couch to heal, and I stopped writing.

I busied myself - just organizing what-nots - and curled up and propped up a lot, to nurse this pain in my rib - and surfed a lot.  Some of that surfing took me to discussions about depression. How depressing.   Why do most of the talking heads and doc shows think that meds will solve it all?  Roger was not that way and I am not either. That is one thing that we FOR SURE had in common.  Meds for a short while if at all was our motto - and boy, I want it to stay mine. 

So, pretty quickly I got busy. Got off that couch and packed my bag. Sore as could be, I determined NOT to cancel my commitment for chalking the road at Marietta Square. Lila and I had planned this trip and a little rib and a bit of 'woe is me' (depression ???) was not about to stop me.  Roger would have said to go but to be careful. Of course! I think I am always careful!

I've been back in town almost a week, but still, no writing. Maybe I have forgotten all of my wonderful thoughts and observations? Maybe I just don't want to be on the couch anymore?
Maybe I just filled my calendar as a way of avoiding the remembering and thinking ...and tears. 

Today I decided to just face it and catch up. After all, the memories are what I have and painful or not, I don't ever want to forget. Writing will preserve it, I hope!

Today was good. It was busy, but good busy. I made that forever long journey over to my favorite school - TMA, of course! I love 'my people' over there! The hugs were wonderful and I did not cry, though I really really needed to!  The great welcomes make me think about how it will be one day when I reach Heaven. God gives us people here to prepare us for the end of the journey. I have great people and I surely hope I greet others as wonderfully as they greet me!   

I want Jesus to say - "Wow, I've been waiting so long to see you here!" I want Him to be happy at the way I lived this life He gave me. (Yes, even though most days, I can be done - now I know how daddy felt - it just isn't the same when half of you is missing.)

Driving home this evening the sky turned from a light gray blue to blue to pink to purple and then the most brilliant fuscia I have seen in a long time. Off in the distance I saw smoke.  And there they went - tears. Good grief, middle of 408 and blurry vision. Not ideal. 

That smoke made me start wondering. Was it a house fire? A woods fire? A chemical fire? Had the engines arrived? Had they put water on that fire?   Roger could - and would- have told me all of that. He would likely have even known pretty accurately where the fire was.  

How many times did he point out fires and how you could tell what kind of fire it was, if they had engaged the hoses, how long it had been burning or if it was almost out. He knew fire.  But 42 years of instruction did not make me any closer to knowing what I was looking at. And that is what made me cry. 

Roger's Lesson:  He would point out that so often God gives us the same instruction over and over and over - always patiently - and yet so often, we never get it. We never apply it, but we should.  And he would tell me that I was hearing but I was not listening. 

It makes me really sad that I think I have done a lot of that in life.  
Maybe I won't ever need to look across the horizon and see smoke and need to know what kind of fire I see, but I would probably have happier memories if I could.  

I do know that when you see what looks like a fluffy white cloud drifting from earth to sky, then it means that there is water on the fire. Steam, you know!  I did listen sometimes! 

Roger was not the kind of teacher who yelled things at you over and over. He taught well about the things that he loved.  Find a passion...something worth dying for. His was fighting fires and saving lives ...saving lives in eternal ways too - he knew the way and pointed others that way too. 

Now to just keep things safe around here so he does not 'look down' and say - "that Judi - she's burning up the whole house!"  

Well, with my firefighter around, that wouldn't happen now, would it!?

I have to hope that I was listening! 

Ribs

Oh, the pain.  How was it that the doctor described it - close to childbirth?
I told her that I was asleep, so I don't really remember childbirth pain - try something else.

I have a pretty high pain tolerance, and I don't run to the doctor for every little thing, so to allow Kristin to get me there on a Sunday was outside my comfort zone anyway.


WebMD pointed us to the doctor but did not give us answers.
Sometimes you just need the real thing.  (I now know that you do not say "WebMD" to a real live doctor.)
And sometimes you still need an X-Ray machine.
(Not my image above, but the right place - only my rib is broken, not spotty - CD won't read on this Apple product!)

Jim analyzed and pretty well knew that with the stubbornness that runs in this family, it was going to be hard to get me to move. I had convinced myself that it was a pinched nerve, or cyst, or something that could be dealt with later - or with a massage. He did not believe I was right.

Send in the boss. Kristin is a take charge kind of girl and there is this small part of me that is fairly determined NOT to be John Underwood and plant my feet in cement and be unmoved. She is not one to run to a doctor constantly either, so if something bothers her, I really try to listen and accommodate her. It is hard for a mother to admit, but she is generally right when it comes to health things.

But then, practically everyone that knows me even a little bit would not pick me as a 'Nancy Nurse."

Today, it was good that I listened to both of them. (I'm not sure Jim would say that I actually 'listened' but at least I accommodated the request)

I have a lot on my to-do list this week and it involves R and R. This was in no way the right timing for a diagnosis like I received.

Rib number 3 ---in a place that I did not really realize had ribs, though I should have!  --- not a hairline fracture, but a crack, as in broken, as in dislodged. As in, be careful so you don't puncture a lung. Seriously?!

It would be nice to say that I was out on some grand adventure and fell off the zip line, or the bungee cord snapped me in the wrong direction, or the roller coaster tossed me out of the car - but oh no, not one of those. (It would NEVER be one of those anyway!)    I do save my real adventures for when I am in Europe anyway!

No no, they figure that I sneezed. Sneezed? Really? There has to be more, and I will keep thinking back to last week and figure out that I did something far more interesting than sneezing. That does not even make a good story!

After the ER Clinic and the hospital Xray and a little nap at home, then a pick up of the world traveling daughter from the airport and dinner, I settled in for a little time of reflection.

Sneezing is far too boring of a diagnosis for my life. I need more. What would Roger say?

Roger's Lesson:  First, think back some more - maybe something happened before that fateful sneeze.  The most random things can change what you think you have to do on any given day. Plan for the future, but live as if it could all change in a moment. 

Oh - could that mean, don't over commit?  I didn't. I planned a little vacation!
But I suspect that I have also added a little more 'busy-work" than is actually necessary, and God knows that I need to stop and focus.

I will have a few GA days to do nothing but chalk the pavement, then soak in a hot Hilton tub, and crash in a luxury Hilton bed. I'll be back in shape before we know it!

I'll be able to get in really great shape for the Mediterranean trip too!

Indeed - Roger would definitely say to be in shape!

Torched

The weather took a turn for the cooler. AHHHH. 

I love it because this means - yard work!

Roger loved it because it meant winter would be here soon. 

He humored me with yard work. I learned over the years that if I could organize it properly, I could keep his attention and his willingness to cut, pull, or drag things to the street for about 20 minutes on either side of a run. If I was lucky, an hour, but only one one side of the run. 

I have an odd assortment of garden tools. I always thought that if I ever found just the right one, Roger would be captivated by it - and use it on his own.  Nope - no initiative when it came to yard work.    "Tool Time" was one of my favorite shows. It was no where near one of his favorites!

I was confined to the comfy couch one evening, trying to forget my aching self, and ran across a post by David. David always posts interesting things and I loved this!

It it a garden tool!  I have spent many hours reclining in my adirondak, gazing up into the mossy trees, and imagining a tool - a long stick with a trigger or push button on the end - and a laser on the other. Yes, like those pointy pens that make the red dot on the wall.  Only this thing would heat up the moss where it touched the tree, and poof, it would drop off the tree and into the trash can! Perfect, right?  Roger informed me that lasers generate heat and heat causes fires. 

Silly, I know that! My plan was to turn the laser off before it started a fire! Of Course! 

This gadget looks like ever so much MORE fun! 
It is something like a flame thrower! Of course, it is not meant to aim up at the tree, but rather to aim down at the ground and to burn the very seeds out of nothing other than weeds! Brilliant! 

I never asked Roger for one of these. I already know what he would have said. 


"Are you out of your ever-loving' mind? Who even gave you this idea"
"Sweet little David, dear."
"That Polish family of mine - what will they think of next?"

Well.....I'm with the family on this one. Vinegar sure doesn't kill the weeds! 

Roger's Lesson: Just because someone says something is a good idea does not mean that it is. Think about it here, if you shoot fire out at something, something or someone is going to get burned. You need to TPA!  (Think, Plan, Act) - It is because of people like you, that society needs people like me. 

Oh good grief
Party Pooper! 

A girl can still dream! 

Memorial-FL State Fire College

Sometimes we put ourselves into 'anxiety mode' when it is so very unnecessary. Part of it is that fear of the unknown, whether we admit it or not. Part of it is a fear that we won't be able to have control over our own emotions. Anxiety. Not good for the soul - and mostly a real waste of time. 

Even when you know that Jesus will carry you through, anxiety fights its way in. It is really hard to beat back sometimes. 


This date, October 3, has been on the calendar for a while - and yet I kept it in the back of my mind.

This week, it seemed to be all I could think about, so much so that I could not seem to complete a single task during the week.

Perhaps I was trying to prepare myself. Perhaps I was not sure that I could be 'in control' of my emotions. Perhaps I was exhausted with 'emotion' and just did not want to face up to another round of tears. Who knows?  I did put myself through a fair amount of unnecessary stress though.

I found it interesting that even with praying that God would see me through - and even knowing that He would - I remained anxious. Perhaps I failed to ask Him to calm my anxious soul.

As Friday drew nearer, I calmed down a bit. I knew God would get me through because He had done it before. I knew that if I focused on the big picture and on the way firefighters care so deeply about each other, and not on my personal loss, I would be ok.

Indeed, a lot was the fear of the unknown. I'm a bit of a control freak. I accept that. I try to let go, but sometimes, it is just so hard. This was not my event, I was only the guest. And yet, that unknown was almost terrifying and yet also so glorifying to God and so uplifting and honoring.

The honor guard was amazing and we had our own personal member of the honor guard who stayed with us all day. These men and women do this on top of all of their other duties and all expenses involved are paid by them, not by their departments. They do this from the depths of their hearts.

Perhaps I was concerned that hearing the bagpipes again would be too much like the day of Roger's funeral. They are always so soulful, so mournful, and yet, I asked God to help me to hear His promises in that music, and indeed He did that day. There were 30 bagpipes playing in that guard...it was amazing! I have an entirely new appreciation for the bagpipes now. And the music did take me back to those last moments at the cemetery - those moments where all the formality was complete and I could hear off in the distance, the lone bagpiper playing  "It is Well with my Soul" -  it was for Roger, and yes, it is for me.  The bagpipes now remind me of the love we have for each other on earth and the hope of eternity and that eternal joy we will have with Christ. Totally new perspective.

The pipes, the drums, the flags, the uniform corp standing at attention - and even the military firefighters in camo.  All of it was done with such precision, such honor, such caring.  To see so many men and women in their dress attire is not something we typically see among first responders. They are typically dressed to run out to assist in an emergency. Today they honored those who gave their lives for others. 

It was so wonderful to have some very special friends with us for the day as well. People who were special in Roger's life, and are in ours.  And it was unexpected and special to have Rick "Chief" sitting beside me like he did in February.  Special because he was not much more than a 'young kid' when Roger told him that he needed to come to KSC, though he was happy where he was.  Yet, he 'obeyed' this older man. He served with him, and Roger loved working with Rick.  I always told Roger that Rick was like the son he never had. And Roger was so proud of him.  And I am so blessed to have had him by my side. (Thanks, Sheila!)   He has that same strength and confidence - and humility that Roger had. And a true servant's heart. I know this has been a hard few months for him, but God has made him stronger and wiser through it all. 

Steve and Roger shared that same laid back demeanor, but were the first to jump into action when action was needed. I wonder if either of them ever rested when they were in a crowd. 

 Ryan is that 'young one' that Roger had his eye on. He saw great things for Ryan - called by God into the fire service after 9-11 events - Roger saw that servant's heart in him from the time he was a wee child. It makes me really sad that Roger isn't here to enjoy seeing Ryan grow in his career. 

And what can I say about a man who took time that could have used for far more impactful business to join us today. Dan and Roger had a unique relationship. They loved God and they loved politics and Roger loved to 'claim' Precinct 129 for Dan. I really hope Roger's faithful voters will come out when we ask this year. And Sandy - only children, the two of them.  They should have been siblings for the way they got along together! 

We really missed Karin, stuck in Paris, and yet, she is the only one that Roger would have said was doing the right thing and missing all the fanfare! He did not like the spotlight - at all. 

What would I do without our girls, our grandchildren, and Jim's strong and caring touch. God blesses so very much! 

I have to admit though, that seeing Roger's name 
"Roger D. Tome - 2014"  
etched in granite made this whole thing seem so very permanent.     I know it is permanent, but facing up to it by seeing it in granite is a very different feeling.

And at the same time, rubbing my fingers across his etched name, made me feel so blessed that I was his and he was mine.  

And there, not too far from Roger's name was  the name -            "G. Calvin Bookhardt - 1972"        Calvin Bookhardt is the man whom Roger called his mentor - back in the early days of his career as a firefighter - in Orlando.  Chief Bookhardt died in a fire in downtown Orlando when the building collapsed beneath him.     Roger and I had not been dating for very long when that happened, but I remember how much it shook him, and I remember how he was determined to live the kind of life that "Chief' lived - and to live it for a purpose that meant something in eternity.

I think Roger had that kind of influence on many young men, and for that I am very thankful. He invested in things that meant something for eternity.

 The wreath was in the shape of the Maltese Cross, which is symbolic for the fire department.  It was another touching ceremony.

Emily had not seen anything quite like this! 

     

Six firefighters were honored for 2014. 

Final Call Bell - a long tradition called
Four Fives - striking the bell five times
in a series of four sequences.
A working firefighter would never let a
bell ring that many times without responding.

The bell is ceremonial these days, but the
tradition goes back to the 1800's.
Hearing this at the burial was the hardest part of
my day on February 15. 

The recognition speeches about each firefighter were so heartwarming. All of the video files are too big to load, but I will try to figure something out.  The only mistake they made was about his military career - and I don't know how they messed that up. It was a small part of what he did in life and yet, as the military does, it was a part of what made him strong and courageous.  And patriotic! 

The end of the day was so much better than I ever might have dreamed. I met a young woman who lost her husband in a tragic way, yet is strong, and is raising their son to be strong and to live with purpose. There is a wonderful support system within the fire-family - and at the root of it all is that high calling to be wiling to put your life on the line in order to save another.

And I love the way the speaker talked about the boys in the fiery furnace and the way God protected them, and how the flames could not consume them, nor did they smell like smoke.   And of course, they compare it to the flames of hell - and how a firefighter sets out as well to see that none face the flames of hell.

What a message in today's America!

And Roger's Lesson:  He would say to skip all the fuss, but to live a life with purpose that means something in eternity. And that purpose is to stay away from the flames of hell. And that is your personal choice - but there are those who will stand in the gap and show you the way to an eternity you will want to embrace! 


Roger would not have been interested in the memorial at all, he did not like attention on himself, and he definitely did not like surprises. But -  I think he would have been pretty blessed to be named with his mentor, Chief G Calvin Bookhardt. And I think Chief would have been pretty proud of the life Roger chose to live.  I bet they of have a lot of catching up to do! 

You just never ever know who you influence in this life. But it surely is worth it to know you stood for something important.

Thanks, G Calvin, for influencing and investing in my man!

And thank you to the Florida State Fire Marshall and the wonderful people at the Florida State Fire College for putting together such a touching memorial. 

I will take you up on the offer to visit the campus in Ocala and spend some time at that memorial area. And when I need a lift in future years, I believe we will join you for another memorial celebration.  Sadly, it is always about a lives lost, but what greater love can you have than to be willing to give up your life to save another. A great calling, indeed. 

Florida State Fire College Memorial
NW Gainesville Road,  Ocala FL

And thanks Chief! I am not sure how she GAVE
you a puppy and then got you to buy it so she
could try to win more stuffed toys.
It's almost like Ro-Ro was there! 

Eight, really?

Too fast. The years fly by too fast.

Of course, this is perspective. Emily felt like it would be FOREVER before she was eight.
We feel like she was just two.  Where did the years go?

One thing Roger really loved was little girls. They were always drawn to him and he was always drawn to them. Sweet ones. Adorable ones. Even the ornery ones. He had a way of making them forget their orneriness and changed it to laughter.

He was truly a father of daughters. They had him wrapped around their little finger, as the saying goes. He knew it and he loved it.  

He loved spending time with Emily, and she, with him. And I don't think it was just about ice cream.  She had him wrapped around her little finger too.  It was a pretty special bond these two had.

He picked her up from school that day. It was not the original plan for the day. Kristin called and said, "Daddy, Emily said this morning......."  and he said, "No problem, I'll pick her up. I can run later."

And he did. He always arrived at school early. She was  always the first in her class to be picked up when he did the pickup. He took her to the playground and said they would to Allen's (Ice cream)  tomorrow.  They had a plan, those two.  They had many dates at Allen's.  And he dropped her off at home - and went for his run.

And life changed for all of us.

And possibly more than we will ever know for this precious girl.
We made this birthday - number 8 - a week long party, and we did not really talk much about it, but we knew it was not the same and never would be again.

But she was a trooper and smiled and laughed and enjoyed her day. Just as Ro-Ro would have wanted  her to do. 

Roger's Lesson:  Celebrate every day! Find something wonderful every time the sun comes up. Life is like a vapor so do something meaningful while you are here, and do it for Him. It is the only thing that really matters.  And don't forget to eat ice cream. 

Ro-Ro would have been proud of his precious grand baby on this special, but tough day.

Indeed, proud of all of us.

Feast Prep

So skinny - and all that black hair in 1972!

Some things are just tradition.

I'll never forget Roger's very first 'holiday surprise.' We had been dating since June. October arrived and so did he one afternoon, in his green corvette, top removed. (it was a '68 Green Hard Top Convertible.)

I walked out into the driveway to see him standing beside the vet, filled to the brim with.....pumpkins! Proud as could be with his great surprise! 

Back in the day I did not have a camera in my hand at practically all times. I can still remember that day though. It is etched into my memory, though I had not thought of it in years.

 I had never - no NEVER - carved a pumpkin. He decided to show me how. I remember not finding it fascinating enough to ever want to do it again, and sadly, I don't remember ever carving pumpkins with the girls.

But when we had grandchildren around the corner - the pumpkin tradition returned! I'm glad it did too! We (girls) always laughed about it because whatever day the pumpkins arrived at Publix, they also arrived on Jacob and Emily's doorstep. The kids were always delighted and they always seemed to have a fun pumpkin carving party in the park at the end of October.   Most of the time it was cool enough in October that Ro-Ro's pumpkin could make it to the carving party.

One year I even joined them in the pumpkin carving. I did not mind the carving part so much, but the getting the goo out part - oh, ick! Thank goodness I stuck with it long enough to finish my Einstein, but once was enough for me!

Yes, it came a long way from that first pumpkin Roger helped me carve in 1972. 

Roger loved holidays and always seemed to have something that we tended to look at as absurd, that he connected with it. 





Roger's Lesson:    Why wait until October 1 when the pumpkins are ready and waiting in September - and if you can't decide on which one to buy - just fill up the car!  Spread the joy!

Roger certainly did that. He continually spread the joy. He made life memorable. He lived in the moment and embraced the holidays we celebrate. And he loved fall - because it meant winter would be here soon.

No one ever heard him complain about cold weather! 

Ah, but this fall would be different. How would we handle yet another special time without him. Mostly, we just go about our daily activities, but it is never the same. Never will be. 

But.....

Pumpkins arrived on October 1st this year. They were sitting on the porch, just waiting for Jacob and Emily to get home from school.  "Pumpkins from Heaven"  we called them this year.

Tradition.

There is something really special about tradition.
And about the people who embrace tradition.

It reminds me an awful lot about the traditions and feasts that the Hebrew people celebrated. God called them to do certain things in remembrance. I think it is a really good idea - to do things that make you remember. 

And our pumpkins will always make us remember that God gave us Roger, Dad, Ro-Ro, Uncle, Friend.... for a season. 
A season - and Roger loved something about every season, and we should continue to love it to.  
And these things should also make us think about the one who created celebrations in the first place - an earthly reminder of the greatest celebration of them all.....

That Heavenly feast at the Father's banquet table. 

Yes.....thanks Roger for teaching us to celebrate!