I Would Be Honored

I jumped off another bridge last weekend. Something else to do. Like I really need something else to do.

I joined the Facebook social network.

When I was a kid the only social network we had was what we called “Slam Books.” My friends and classmates would have these small notebooks and write names on each page. Then they would pass the little book around and people would write things about the person at the top of each page. You could find out if a girl liked you or didn’t like you by reading what she wrote in the slam book.

I found out what others thought about me. I vividly remember somebody thought I was cute (probably some guy), some thought I was funny and somebody thought I was stuck up. Very enlightening information for a 13 year old boy.

The slam book has now given way to the Facebook. And I have to say that Facebook is much more sophisticated.

Actually I created a page on Facebook a couple of months ago for our home group from our church. We figured everyone could post things about where we would be meeting and what food we were supposed to bring. And possibly keep everybody posted on matters of concern or prayer.

But after looking at what is available on this social network and seeing how it works, I begin playing with it and finding folks already there and connecting electronically with them. And it is about the neatest thing I ever saw.

You can get all kinds of information about your friends and even let people know the books you are reading, what music you listen to, what you are doing now and what kind of mood you are in. And the list goes on. You can post pictures, videos and all kinds of stuff. You can have virtual conversations with many folks at one time and you can get caught up whenever you desire.

Moving from the Slam Book to Facebook is quite a large technological step. If you are not part of this social scene, I cordially invite you to join me by clicking here and inviting me to be your friend.

I would be honored.

Big Time

I predict this 13 year old will break a few hearts before he gets done. I think that will be fine because hearts get stronger when they get broken anyway. Somehow they always mend back a little stronger than they were before they were broken.

By the way, Tommy knows a little about a broken heart. When you lose your mom before you hit your teenage years you know more about broken hearts than kids should ever have to know. But Tommy was one of the fortunate ones in spite of his tragedy. He had a dad who was very involved in his life and that dad just stepped up to the plate a little closer.

Dad was already working in Warner Robins and commuting from Atlanta. He and Tommy decided to leave their house in Atlanta and move to an apartment in Warner Robins. Tommy enrolled in a new school and dad and Tommy just started life over. Sometimes you have no other choice.

But God always has a plan.

The plan turned out to involve our family as you can see from this picture of Tommy sitting on our porch with our little doggie. His dad and my sister in law fell in love in fairly short order. Tom needed Mia. Mia needed Tom. And Tommy needed a mom.

And in the process of all that Tommy also got a new extended family. It started with a new step brother and sister and it stretched to a bunch of new aunts and uncles and several houses full of cousins. If he was hoping for a perfect family he will be disappointed. But if a close knit family was what he hoped to find, he found it. He found it big time.

I have a strong feeling there will be many Goddard and Whatley and Underwood family Christmases in the horizon for this young man. Not to mention the other holidays and summer vacations and all the conversations and laughter sitting around dens and back porches and dining room tables.

Yep he will break a few hearts along the way.

But he has already won a lot of hearts here.

Big time.

Just in Case

I actually remember when people used to pass the time rocking on the porch and visiting with their friends and neighbors. Most all the world problems were solved on the back porches of America. And lifelong relationships were formed.

Thanks to the handiwork of one David Bowden, a long time friend and remodeler extraordinaire, we have moved back in time at our house. For us that means we have moved out to our newly remodeled back porch. For some reason the conversation has picked up and we have begun resolving one world problem after another. I believe you just think more clearly with fresh air and ceiling fans.


We haven’t begun shelling peas and churning ice cream yet but I would not be surprised if that doesn’t come soon. For some reason the prospect of coming home to fresh air, the sound of chirping birds and good conversation appeals to me at this stage in my life.


Here’s hoping you drop by for a visit soon. I’m sure we will have no trouble striking up a conversation.

But if we have trouble with the conversation, the porch is equipped with hi speed internet access as well as a high definition television. I guess we went back in time but took a little technology with us.

Just in case we run out of problems to solve.

Taylor Time

In one week, Taylor Reese Goddard will be 16 months old. Fastest 16 months this papa has ever experienced. Actually the three hours or so I had with her on this Saturday morning moved rather quickly as well.

Kathy went to a wedding shower and left me in charge of our one and only grandbaby girl. Taylor and I decided to take a field trip to Dunkin Donuts this morning. Thanks to DVD technology in automobiles, Taylor was completed satisfied on the way over. Taylor got rather wide eyed when we got there and she spotted all the donuts on the shelf.


We enjoyed a bagel and a donut together. I thought a cup of coffee might be too hot for Taylor so I got her a coke instead.

As you might be able to tell I forgot to brush her hair. But I noticed plenty of other folks at Dunkin that didn't have their hair brushed either. And Taylor didn't seem to mind at all.


We got back home and played in the back yard, in the front hard, on the deck, on the back porch and of course in the room with all her toys. I just followed her wherever she had the urge to go. Our oldest, David, stopped by the house on the way to join his bride in South Georgia. As you can see, I was able to get a quick pic of Taylor and her two uncles.

I have said here before that I am a 20 minute babysitter. After that things start going downhill. But today I turned into a 3 hour babysitter. I never even had to call my wife to ask her when she was getting home.

I have to tell you, I loved every 182 minutes of it too.

I call it Taylor time.

Ticked

I’ve heard people many times talk about being ticked. This week I think I learned the origin of that term. I thought when someone gets ticked he or she is really mad. Not so. If you are ticked you jump and you run and you call home. And then you get online to read all about it.

A couple of nights ago I was in a hotel room talking on the phone. For some reason I was scratching my navel. In case you don’t know your anatomy, the navel is the place where the Indian shot you. At least that is what my mom used to tell me. I am not trying to be grotesque here so please be patient and hear me out. I am trying to help. I thought I had foreign matter in that secret place. I assumed it was lint but for the life of me I could not get it out. I never mentioned all this to Jon and Kay on the phone because getting something out of your navel is not something you tell others about. Especially when you are talking to them on the phone.

When I hung up the phone I had figured out that it was not lint but I had some sort of pimp ginny in my navel. I decided to go to the bathroom and take a look at it with the help of a mirror.

All of a sudden I pulled what looked like a lady bug out of my navel. I ran to the bathroom and threw the bug in the toilet. It was alive and moving. I was scratching my head (and my navel) trying to figure out how a lady bug got in my navel. And I started looking around the room for more of them.

After the initial shock I began to realize there had been a tic in my navel. I got online and looked at pictures of tics and confirmed my suspicion. I still have no idea how long the little creature had been attached in my navel. Maybe a few days, a few weeks or even a few years.

I did read that a tic needs a few days to cause disease in a human. Sadly I think this sucker had plenty of time to do his work. I talked to my doctor brother in law and he told me if I start getting flu like symptoms I need to contact my doctor immediately and get on medication.

So far I feel fine. But I read tonight that sometimes it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear from the disease caused from a tic. Hopefully I won’t get that disease.

So for the next 14 days I will wait.

And be ticked.

A Very Rich Man

(Augusta, GA) I was in Cartersville GA yesterday and remembered a couple who I thought lived there who I have not seen in at least a dozen years. I looked their number up and left a message on a voicemail. Although I was not sure I had the right number, Jon and Kay called me last night.

And we picked up right where we left off 12 years ago. We must have talked 30 minutes and got caught up on kids and life. Since Jon was going to be out of town today I met Kay for lunch when I came back through town.

Jon hit a grand slam home run when he married this gal some 27 years ago. Kay is the sweetest of the sweet. And she gets more gorgeous as the years go by.

We met Jon and Kay about 25 years ago at Benevolence Baptist Church. The Benevolence family was a very close knit group. We all went to church together but we also visited in each other’s homes on a regular basis and spent a ton of time together. We knew everything about each other and we accepted each other as we were – with all our warts and imperfections. It was fellowship at its best and we all got very close to each other in the process. And we had a blast at the same time. Truthfully I have never experienced anything like that since.

I can tell you Kay and I had no trouble coming up with conversation today during the hour we spent at Applebee’s. We laughed a lot and shared pictures and stories about our families. And it was just about as good as it gets.

I called my wife tonight and told her I would give her three chances to guess who I had lunch with today. Although she was very excited when I told her I had lunch with Kay, she didn’t guess right.

But what was right was the fact that I made a phone call yesterday and hooked up with some very special folks from our past.

I was reminded today that true friendships are worth far more than money.

My time with Kay also reminded me that I am one very rich man.

Where is this Girl's Mom?

You've got to be kidding. I cannot believe they would not let Marche enter her prom in this modest looking dress that obviously covers her undergarments. And it sounds like they didn't even refund her money. Where is freedom of speech these days?

Actually a better question might be, "Where is this girl's mom?"

I'll let you form your own opinion.