Cair Paravel

If you haven’t yet, check out the pics and write-up on Megan’s blog about Cair Paravel, the imitation palatial spread I built for the girls. Three days of my life – in wood and pictures.

Russ

So, immediately after my pathetic post yesterday, we got our collective rear in gear and made it to the Memorial Day service at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. It was hot last year, but the weather was overcast for much of the morning this year, so that was nice.
Probably the highlight of the morning, though, was [...]

Memorial Day Paralysis

Well, it’s Memorial Day, and I’m dealing with a fair amount of guilt due to the fact that we have yet to make solid plans to 1) honor our nation’s fallen or 2) celebrate the beginning of summer.
All weekend long I’ve read or heard how Americans are using Memorial Day less as a memorial [...]

New Home for Half Pint House

Since a majority of you read my blog as well as Megan’s (though not necessarily in that order), you should know we’re in the process of migrating Half Pint House from here to here.
Unfortunately, this means adjusting the URL (now http://halfpinthouse.wordpress.com – update your bookmarks and blogroll links accordingly), but she was just having too [...]

Shameless Self-Promotion

As it’s that time of year (i.e. graduation), don’t forget to bless that graduate (high school, college, or grad school) with his or her very own copy of TwentySomeone: Finding Yourself in a Decade of Transition. Amazon’s got ‘em for just $11.24 (with used and new copies available from $2.96 – a crime!), and you [...]

A Good Kind of Tired

There are few things in life more anti-climactic than finishing your last final exam of the semester. I don’t care if it’s high school, college, or seminary, when you’re done, you’re…done. That’s it. No brass band; no immediate feedback; no on-the-spot acknowledgment that, by golly (and by the grace of God), you actually completed the [...]

I’m Not Convinced Either

This morning, I had an interview for a temp job at a law firm downtown. My friend, Emily, has worked there and recommended me to them, so they actually called me, which was nice.
When I came downstairs for breakfast wearing a suit and tie, my three-year-old looked at me strangely over her cereal and asked, [...]

It’s the Little Things

Happiness is finally getting your mower back from the shop and taking the morning off from studying to mow your yard – twice. There are no words for my joy when things just work.

Top Ten Signs You Know It’s Finals Week

10. After 30-minute search, you finally find your four children playing in unmowed backyard.
9. Final paper you just turned in has “clever” title of Paul, Stoicism & “Body” Language in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
8. Normally introverted wife (who has no finals) suddenly turns into social queen.
7. Phone messages from your friend Mitchell start with, “Hi, this [...]

Wildwood Friends

Here’s a picture I took of my students today after our last (sniff, sniff) day of Bible class.
And here’s a picture of how I confusingly tried to help them solve all the problems of the world (or at least the ones they identified on Monday), using Psalm 1 as a hermeneutic:

Yep. That’s what they said, [...]

Fuller Disclosure Equals Fuller Discourse

I have no business writing this post this week (the last of the semester) in light of what’s due the next few days, but recent comments would seem to merit an effort. My thoughts here run along the lines of owning one’s influence, whether in the blogosphere, or just in life in general.
One of my [...]

Wise Beyond Their Years

I’ve got one more class with my Wildwood students on Wednesday. One more class. Granted, they have their oral final exam next Wednesday (five groups of three students for 30 minutes per group), but that will probably be more fun for me than for them.
In addition to their friendship this year, one of the things [...]

On Josh Hancock

At the risk of perhaps stepping on a few St. Louis toes, I wanted to contribute a few thoughts to the ongoing discussion surrounding the death of Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock last weekend. I would have done this earlier, but time did not allow. I also wanted to wait for the police report before throwing [...]

May Update

Megan and I are currently floating somewhere on the River Denial, just off the banks of the Island of Responsibility. As of today, it’s May, and (as is probably true in your part of the world), May is a month of many beginnings (weddings, events, the summer) and endings (semesters coming to a close, graduations, [...]