These pictures didn't turn out the way I had hoped, so blame the existing gaps in my computer literacy. I decided to talk a little about the "new" Anne Rice, for those of you who haven't followed her recent life.

A couple of years ago, I came across the book, "Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt", by Ms. Rice. My original thought was, "Oh, great, now Jesus was a vampire grappling with his sexual identity." For some reason, I read the author's notes before I bought the book. She described herself as a lapsed Catholic, who always knew she would write a book about Jesus. Her original intent was to investigate and write a book to justify her lost faith. She discovered that much of the so-called "higher criticism" was as biased as any research she had ever seen. She continued her research and finally wrote this statement: "I finally concluded that Jesus was who He said He was." Consequently, she returned to the church, persuaded her atheist husband to renew their vows in the church, and began her new journey.

I'm sure she was a great writer before, but her subject matter didn't really interest me. Not so any more. The first book, "Out of Egypt," is told through the eyes of the 12-year-old Jesus. Much is what Protestants would consider apochryphal (in the first chapter, he kills one of his playmates and brings him back to life!), but it's a great portrayal of the One who was wholly man and wholly God. He's struggling with identity as any 12-year-old would, and I just was constantly blessed by the book.

The second, "Road to Cana" was an account of his life leading up the the wedding in Cana where he performed his first recorded miracle, the changing of water to wine. One story line is again one that some will have trouble with, for a young lady in Nazareth was in love with him and he with her. He had to ultimately leave her to fulfill his calling, but this story line kind of validates the scripture that states, "He was tempted in EVERY way...." How can he relate to the temptations that are common to all if he didn't experience them in his human body?

She has apparently written an autobiography of her spiritual re-awakening (the title escapes me at this point), but her 3rd work of fiction is one I am reading now, and even though I'm only a few chapters in, it's already my favorite. It's called "Angel Time" and it's the story of a contemporary 28-year-old contract killer who is given the opportunity by an Angel to use his skills to rescue rather than kill. That's all I've read so far, but the insight into the thought process of God's messengers has been very enlightening. I posted this quote on my FB status, and I want to do it again here. He's invited Toby (the killer) to help him, Toby hasn't made his decision yet, and Malchiah, the angel, says, "Let me make it clear: because I choose a mortal for my purposes, that does not mean the mortal is going to agree to come with me. Finding such a one as Toby is hard enough, persuading him to come with me is even harder. You'd think it was irresistable, but it's not. People swindle themselves out of Salvation with great regularity." (italics mine). What a great picture of the doctrine of free will. God loves us all, but doesn't demand that we love him back.

I usually read when I go to a restaurant, but I've decided to leave this book at home, to read it without any distractions, less I miss some of the best it has to offer. I have fluffier books to take with me when I'm just looking to have something to do while eating.

So, if you've seen the new Anne Rice books but have had doubts about reading them, let me put them to rest. She reaffirms the cornerstones of the Christian faith: God loves you, sent His Son to die for you, and will go to any lengths to bring you home. If you decide to pick up one of the books, prepare to be blessed.

Happy Birthday to Me

Well, tomorrow I'm turning Sweet 61 (selective dyslexia on my part). Currently I'm sitting in the kitchen of Jeff and Jen's new house, babysitting for them with Jan so they can shop and not have whiny kids dragged along with them. Jan is in the TV room honing up on her Beatles Rock Band skills, while I've been watching delivery room updates on FB from my friends Heather and Darren as they await the birth of their first child. We had breakfast this morning with 5 of our dearest friends, and the birthday wishes have been pouring in on facebook from new and old friends. Can life get any better? I've decided that it can indeed. For example:

Alicia, Joe, Amber, Angel, Brent, Billy, Laurel, Austin, Tamila, Aaron, Travis, Bob, Diane, Bonnie, Brandon, Sarah, Chelsea, Cody, Evie, Cindy, Scott, Connie, Bruce, Curtis, Kristi, Haley, Lexi, Dan, Martha, Dave, Dave, Dave, Heather, Don, Lyn, Elizabeth, Dave, Heidi, Kurt, Hope, Jack, Irene, Robert, Jessica, Jennifer, Joel, John, John, Jolene, Jon, Jordan, Kasey, Kevin, Kirk, Lilian, Mandy, Josh, Steven, Jagger, Michele, Dave, April, Paula, Sammy, Phyllis, Robbie, Scott, Tamra. These are the names of my facebook friends that I didn't know 2 years ago, just from my church. That doesnt' count the number of students I have reconnected with, who are part of my life again. I used to have a poster in my room with a quote from Bob Dylan: "He who isn't busy being born, is busy dying." I understand that so much more now than I did when I hung it up.

This spring I will be meeting close to 200 new tax clients, bequeathed to me by my retiring friend Don. We have a chance to go on a mission trip to Chile this summer, and have already booked a 40th anniversary Alaska cruise for August.

All our lives, we have friends who we say, "Can't wait to see them again." At this point in my life, I really have nothing stopping me from doing just that.

My sister once told me that I have trouble meeting new people, and for much of my life that was true. I don't know how, but that has changed so much that I actually think I would enjoy being (gasp!!) a GREETER at church.

So, while my life is better than it has ever been, I am struck by the thought that it is far better than I ever dreamed it COULD BE. So, logically, it is possible that it could get even better. I can't wait to see how God can make that happen. Especially with me asking all the time, "Why me?"

"Looking Good"

December means basketball tournament season at our house, and even though I'm retired, I'm assisting Jeff with his Cypress team, and this week we are in the Orange Optimist Tournament, being held, logically, in Westminster. This week also marks the 6-month anniversary of my official retirement.
Our first tournament game didn't go well, but I ran into a couple of old friends so the day wasn't a total loss. The first was Tom McCluskey, the coach at Trabuco Hills, and he was the reason the game didn't go well. Tom and I coached at the Tustin High School at the same time. He won a state championship with the boys in 1991, the same year my girls lost in double overtime in the quarterfinals to finish the year 25-4. As Tom and I were talking, he offered this statement: "You're looking good, you seem so relaxed." Before the next game, I spied Mark Lewis, who played for us at Tustin in 1981 when we reached the CIF finals--I was coaching boys then. Mark's son is playing at Laguna Beach High School, and we will play them tomorrow. Mark went on to play at Long Beach State, was City Engineer for Fountain Valley for awhile, and now lives and works in Laguna Beach. During the course of our conversation, he offered, "You're looking good, you seem so relaxed." That phrase is also repeated when I visit Foothill High School or the Tustin District office. So I joked to Jan that either I really am more relaxed, or that's just one of the things that's easy to say to old people. She said, "The last couple of years you taught, your brow was almost always creased." Wow, I didn't realize that, but if the change is so evident to so many people it must be true. I'm still getting used to being retired, still trying to master the idea that if I don't feel like doing anything, I don't have to (once I do master that idea, I'll be ready for my next career as a politician).
But was I really that miserable my last few years on the job? I started thinking of my facebook friends who are teachers, and some of their most recent posts. So many of them are counting the days until Christmas Vacation, rather than counting the days until Christmas. All of them are recognized as good teachers, and if you asked them, they would say there is no job they would rather have. Yet, for as much as they like their job, they seemingly cannot wait to not be doing it. My explanation for that feeling is this: With all of the outside input they receive on how to do their job, and the pressure to perform on standardize tests, much of the joy of the profession is neutralized. I have a friend who teaches at private school who said the last 2 days before vacation would be taken up with student parties. Such things are not allowed at public school--reminders are given before every date where there is danger of a party breaking out--and I really think the possibility of building relationships with kids, especially those in need of a significant adult role model, is sacrificed at the altar of testing. I know this is a recurring soapbox of mine, but being out of the profession for 6 months has not lessened the depth of my feeling on this subject.
So, what will the next 6 months hold? Well, the end of basketball season will be followed by tax season. Also--I'm going to occasionally substitute teach. I will be really interested to see if I really enjoy it, just being with kids, minus the pressure of performing. And, when I run into a former student on campus, I would much rather hear, "You're looking good, so relaxed," than, "Hey, Mr. Falk, I got Advanced on my Algebra 2 State Test."

Report Card

I've been asked by a friend to blog about my impressions of our president after nearly a year in office. Actually, I need to thank my conservative friends, not for their efforts to "enlighten" me about how evil President Obama is, but rather for putting into the spotlight how un-Christian my behavior towards George W. Bush. I feel rather hypocritical for emphasizing Romans 13 to my Christian conservative friends for this president, while basically ignoring that part of the Bible for the last 8 years.
I am not as enamored with the president now as much as I was when he first took office. It really is expecting too much of any person to carry through as much hope and change as he was proposing. At first the attacks on his office made me very angry, but at some point I realized he didn't need me to defend him, and friendships are more important than politics. I would suspect that the conservatives in my facebook friend list far outnumber the liberals, but if I had to choose between losing their friendship and becoming conservative, I would choose the latter. Fortunately, since they are my real friends, they would never ask me to make that choice. Perhaps an analogy would be two lawyers who beat each other up in court, and then go out for a drink afterwards. I must admit that sometimes I "hide" their status for awhile when the hate seems to overflow, but dropping them from my list of friends has never been an option.

Maybe I would make a good politician, as I've managed to fill a couple of paragraphs without really saying anything. I know it's early in his tenure, but I can honestly say I cannot think of a single thing that has happened in Washington the last year that has had a measurable impact on my life, pro or con. This puts him in the same category as nearly every president that I can remember. Probably the biggest personal impact came from GWB, for spearheading No Child Left Behind, and it was for that that he earned my antipathy. To me that was big government at its worst. I do have a conservative friend who says that Bill Clinton was actually more of a conservative than GWB, and NCLB would seem to support that statement. If I were still teaching, President Obama might actually make me angrier, in that he is a proponent of merit pay for teachers, again believing education can be measured by test scores. Following that logic, Foothill teachers deserve more than Century High School teachers because of their test scores, and there is no logic in that at all. I just don't know how merit pay would work, because all teachers have a different clientele with different abilities. It's interesting to me that President Obama was booed at the ultra-liberal NEA convention, for his stand on merit pay. Hopefully with all the other things on his plate he wont have a change to get around to that one, since I still have many family members who are public school teachers.
The biggest hot button is obviously health care. It looks like his plan will eventually go through, and far more people are talking against it than for it. To me, the argument that makes me the angriest is that people without health care don't deserve it. Conversely, those of us who do have it deserve it. That makes no sense to me. What human being doesn't deserve a chance to be healthy? The classic argument is that all of us do have health care because ERs are required to treat whether the person has insurance or not. The response to that is that many ERs are closing for that reason--they can't afford to stay open and not get paid, nor can we expect them to. So, my stance on that hasn't changed--I believe health care is a right, on the same level as police protection, fire protection, freeways, and other tax-supported institutions. I think I even believe--though I haven't thought this through, that health care is more important than a free public education. I have no problem with my taxes going up if it means health care for more people. I have already been blessed far more than I ever expected to be, and sharing is not distasteful to me. Having said that, I have no problem with those who believe the current proposed plan is not the best answer. And, the truth be told, I don't know enough about it to know if it is good or bad. Since I am now paying almost $700 a month for Jan's medical insurance, a plan that would reduce that is appealing to me.
So there are things about it I don't know. What I do know is that it is nearly impossible to get an unbiased opinion in the media, particularly with those stations who laughingly call themselves "News media." I believe to my core that any time the lips of the two most popular conservative "analysts" move, they are lying. They will say whatever they think their "public" wants to hear, and they are entertainers, period. There is as much hard news in their diatribes as there is in a Jay Leno monologue. (Decided not to use names just in case someone reports me!)
Since we are discussing lying, I cannot help but admit I am greatly disappointed in the falsehoods that have become part of the administration's "new job" figures. When BO spoke today saying that the job loss for November was the lowest since 2007, I didn't entirely believe him. It is no defense that he was just reporting numbers created by his staff. Harry Truman certainly had it right when he pointed out where the buck stops.
I have a friend (who asked for this blog) who pointed out the president's approval rating was down 7 points in the last 3 weeks. I poked him a little, saying I hoped he would report when and if the numbers spiked up. I think all of us are guilty of believing the numbers that support our point of view. Getting back to schools, if you believe public schools are failing, then you believe the comparisons of our test scores with other countries. If you believe, as I do, that teachers have never been better trained than they are today, then you will point out that America is the only country on earth that tests every student, not just those who are on the university track. Kids who "fail" the standardized tests in America at age 16 are kids that would have been weeded out of the system at age 12 in other countries. It's the same with politics. As Art Garfunkel penned almost 50 years ago, "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."
As for Afghanistan, I'm not ready to support the escalation of troops. I think it's also a Catch-22 for the president. There are people, some very well-known radio hosts for example, who would actually welcome another terrorist attack on American soil, for then their predictions would be proven right. I think by unofficially declaring war on the Taliban, the president has almost guaranteed another attempt in this county. The only way he can "win" would be to destroy them without any loss of life in America. I don't see that happening, but with all my heart I hope I am wrong. Should we be there? I honestly don't know at this point. The cynic would suggest a closed door deal--"I'll vote for health care if you send more troops to the middle east." Logrolling is alive and well.
Well, there it is. You may never hear a more uninformed and baseless political opinion, but that's all I got right now. If you comment, it probably means you disagree. That's fine. I will still love you. No matter how wrong you are!

A Special Day

My family will tell you I'm not a big fan of "programs". I drag myself to ballet and gymnastics because my grandkids are involved, and would prefer that I could see their performances and go home. I was expecting kind of the same today at the girls' school, since it was "Special Persons" Day. I assume it's like grandparents day that I've seen at other schools, but a little broader.

I figured I would watch the girls classes perform--of course Jeslyn was near the beginning and Jolie was near the end--and took a book to read while the other classes were performing. I was also aware that this is yet another retirement perk--I couldn't have seen this if I was still working. To my enjoyment, I greatly underestimated the impact the day would have on me.

The kindergarten classes started off, with a performance of "It's a Small World" complete with the monotone kid who must have managed to sneak a wireless mike onto his/her person--at age 5 it's kind of hard to tell the boys' voices from the girls'.

Then the first grade, Jeslyn's class, was next, and Jeslyn had been chosen to recite one of the welcome announcements for the class, which she did with one of the broadest smiles of the day. Her smile continued through their singing of their two songs and choreography.

The fifth grade was marked by about 100 kids who all seemed to be on key.

The 6th 7th and 8th graders don't sing, but about 10 of them are chosen to read the essay about their special person, and I decided to put my book away for the time being. Moms and Dads were included of course, but there was one tribute to an inspiring teacher, another to grandparents who took her in, "because my parents couldn't take care of me," and an Uncle who was a Marine war hero. Then all of the middle school kids (Moiola is a k-8 school) came out and presented their special person with a framed copy of their essay. Since the Russells have moved into a new attendance area, I don't know if I will get to see the girls do this at their new school.

Jolie's 4th grade classes were next, and again she exhibited a big smile, was out front performing a french folk dance with classmates, and seemed to be thoroughly at home. I pointed out how happy both of my girls were to be there, because I couldn't help but notice a few kids in all classes who were not smiling, and spent most of the time looking at their shoes. Was wondering whether their parents even came, whether they didn't want their parents to come, whether they were afraid to go home, etc.

Then it was the 3rd graders to perform 2 songs. First was, "I'd like to teach the world to sing," which of course had Jen and I both singing the Coke commercial. Then they did a great job on "We are the World." I have to confess this really got to me. It's moving enough to watch the original performance in this year of MJ's passing. But when you see 60 8-year-olds saying,
"We are the world, we are its children, we are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving. There's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives..." with such conviction, it's quite overwhelming.

Then the second graders also sang a couple of songs which highlighted the theme of the day, which was diversity. Each of the second graded classes listed the native countries represented in their class, and the total seemed to be about 20 different nations.

Then it was time for classroom visitations. Jeff and his mom went to Jolie's class first, so we went to Jeslyn's. She gave us a big hug, then set down to finish the picture she was coloring for her mommy. So Jan and I guided ourselves around the displays, finally getting to the part where each member had posted their special persons essay. Jan and I both teared up when we read, "My sister Jolie is my special person," with 5 or 6 sentences extolling the virtues of her sister, with whom she is frequently quarreling when at grandma's house. (I was reminded of a friend's facebook post. His 5 year old had his 2 year old sister's name posted on his wall as a reminder to pray for her. Daddy was so proud until he learned that the posting was a result of a Sunday school lesson on loving your enemies!) Jeslyn is very competitive and seems always to want to outdo her sister. Yet, Jolie was her special person, and my unbiased opinion is that she could not pick a better person to emulate.

Then we went to Jolie's class. As if to underscore how different they are, Jolie led us on a guided tour of her classroom, explaining each display, and making sure to point out which one was hers. Her "special person" was her entire family, which is fitting because for her to choose would be to possibly hurt someone else's feelings, which she is not willing to do.

I'm thinking Special Persons Day next year will be on November 19. I've already blocked it off on my calendar (or I would if I had one).

Moving Tunes (Pun Intended)

By now you've probably figured that music and athletics are a big part of my life. If I had any wishes for anything in my life to have been improved, it would have been more talent in baseball and music. Of course, I got an extra dose of ego, so God was smart enough to leave me with something less than professional talent in those two areas. But there always seems to be a song or two that speaks to my current situation and mood, and yesterday seemed to be one of those days. My "job" for the day was to be available to help Jen and Jeff with their move, and it promised to be stressful in that they had to be out of their old house yesterday and wouldn't be able to get their stuff moved into the new house until Friday. Plus, they had spent until the wee hours Monday getting ready for the movers.

The day started with my reading a post put up by my friend Don, who is music minister at our church. He mentioned that he had just heard "We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters, and it was popular when he and Lyn were dating. I told him that Jan and I had wanted that song to be sung at our wedding, but it was too contemporary for Jan's mom and we settled for "Whither Thou Goest." Ironically, Don said that was a selection at their wedding also. That led to a long discussion of wedding songs, some quite humorous, others quite touching. It also reminded me of the song sung just before I walked Jen down the aisle, which I've mentioned in a previous blog. Briefly, it was the Wedding Song, with a touch of "Where are you Going" thrown in at the last minute.

So I was already pensive as I headed over to the Russells, and a song came on my XM gospel station. No picture here, but the refrain lifted me up--"Even in the Valleys, God is good." This was followed by one of my favorite hymns, "How Long Has it Been." Again, not necessarily apt for the day's events, but served to remind me--I seem to need to keep being reminded--of how much Jesus wants an intimate relationship with his children.

I took a load over to the house of stuff they didn't want the movers to deal with, and when I returned Jeff was standing in the driveway looking so tired and forlorn that I went over and put my arm around his shoulders and muttered something brilliant like, "it's all going to be OK." Didn't move him, but made me cry!!

Took another load, the radio cue said that Styx was playing, switched to that, and didn't really fit the mood. However, the next song...

was New Year's Day by U2. This was especially pertinent, since Jeff had entrusted me with his most prized earthly possession, his guitar autographed by all members of the band that Jen had put in a case with all of their CD covers. So far, it's still in great condition.

I had to make a trip to Home Depot for him to buy a switch plate to replace the one in Jeslyn's room, got one that was too large, made another trip for a smaller one. Spent a total of 87 cents on the two trips. Coming out, feeling blue again, and Michael W Smith's version of

Bridge over Troubled Water was on, and it's always been one of my favorites, again liftin my spirits.

Jeff asked me if I knew the number for Empire Carpets, and I missed it by one, despite singing the jingle. Turns out they were able to come to the new house tonight and new carpets will be installed tomorrow. I pointed out that this would not have been possible if they had been fully moved in by today. Another example of God making our lemons into lemonade.

They got everything out, got the keys to the new house today and Jen and Jeff are sleeping on the floor there today while the girls are spending the night with us.

I found myself thinking of the refrain from "We've Only Just Begun.":

Sharing horizons that are new to us
Watching the signs along the way
Talking it over just the two of us
Working together day to day....together

When we first heard those words, they were full of the hope and dreams of starting a new life together. Now, almost 40 years later, they are a description of the rich life that I continue to share with my wife, the life my children share with their mates, and the priceless moments I sometimes share with my grandgirls. And we've only just begun.

A Day at the Mission

Today was Jan's turn to have a reunion with an old friend, and I went along, too, as I knew her friend Rita also. Their friendship goes back to college days and before, but we hadn't really seen her in at least 25 years. Once again, this was a Facebook-facilitated connection.

Rita lives in Nampa, Idaho, but was down visiting her son in Camp Pendleton. He had just finished with his second deployment to Iraq (thank you, Steven). We agreed to meet this morning at the mission in San Juan Capistrano, since it's about halfway between Pendleton and HB. Rita brought her 2 year old granddaughter, Sarah. (Sorry if it's spelled Sara, I forgot to ask). Sara is a very well-behaved little towhead, and clung to Grandma Rita's leg for much of the early part of the visit.

Admission to the mission includes a free audio tour now, so we had our headsets and were at about our 3rd exhibit when one of the volunteers came up, talked to Sarah, and said she would come back with some food for her to feed the fish. She wound up bringing back a 10-ounce Dixie cup filled about 2/3 of the way to the top with tiny fish pellets. She walked us to the pond, which was brimming with Koi (sp?) and told Sarah to start tossing pellets into the water. So she did--one at a time. I roughly calculated at that rate she had about 6 hours worth of fish food, and I was parked in a 3-hour zone. So I tried to speed things up. I showed her how to pour a little in her hand and throw it all at once, and she enjoyed the feeding frenzy that followed. By the time we were done, she was holding food out over the water and watching them bob their heads out of the water. I kept waiting for her to say, "speak!!" She then had me hold out my hand, and I got to demonstrate that I, too, knew how to feed the fish. We finally ran out of food, she wanted more but didn't throw a fit when told there was no more. Then (this is the best part), she held out her hands and said, "Carry me, Grampa Rick."

There are few greater feelings in the world than to know you have earned the trust of a small child. So I joyfully hoisted her up, fuzzy brown backpack and all, and we started off the view the next stop, the J. Serra chapel. (I was also thinking that this is why Jesus uses such harsh language when discussing those who would violate that trust). Sarah dutifully remained quiet inside the beautiful chapel, which contains paintings of the 14 stations of the cross, and a 300-year old gold altar imported from Spain.

This was my 3rd or 4th visit to mission SJC, but by far the best. First of all was my new friend Sarah, and secondly it was the first time that our visit was not shared with 200 busloads of 4th graders. After a couple of hours I realized this could not have happened just this way a year ago, since I would still have been at work (sorry, I'm really NOT rubbing it in. I'm just happy to be retired and genuinely sad for those of you who aren't but want to be.)

We visited their latest exhibit, a tribute to the California gold rush, and we played in a tent, played checkers and tic tac toe (sort of), occasionally stopping for Sarah to energize with another animal cracker from her backpack.

Went to lunch at Ruby's, which has the built in babysitter of a train circling the area on an elevated track. Finally time to go, and Sarah insisted on a kiss and hug outside the car and once again when she was buckled into her carseat. One byproduct of my friendship with Sarah is that Jan and Rita had plenty of time to catch up. They headed back to Pendleton and we to HB. Sarah's parents are trying to decide whether to stay in the Marines when their hitch is up or to get out and try the job market. It was great to have Rita share how these two met in the Marines, have returned to a relationship with God, and are doing a couples devotional in preparation for the rest of their lives together.

So, I had a great day with a little girl who, unless some pieces come together, I may never see again. There's a chance that her parents will move to Nampa, Idaho to be near Grandma Rita when their hitch is up, and that's the scenario that gets my vote. We now have at least 5 families to visit the next time we make it up that way.

On the way home we decided to run by Marriott's Newport Coast Villas, our first timeshare we bought 6 years ago and haven't visited since. We are booked there this summer and may actually stay there this time, so we were "scouting" which building we wanted to request. The facility is all built out now, though some units are getting some finishing touches, and we can see why it is so popular with out-of-towners.

On the way home, I was beginning to realize while this time of life is referred to as the Golden Years. My day was certainly golden.