Beginning a New Chapter

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Well, it’s all said and done.  If you want to view the pictures at a more leisurely rate, our son has posted them here.

The party was really very nice. I was touched by the sentiments that the guys expressed, and I know the hubby was, too.

I cannot tell you how many times I heard what a good boss the hubby was, how fair he was, how hard he worked. How although there were differences, he never held a grudge. The hubby said that before he left the yard, the senior yardmaster hugged him, which was something he did not expect. He did, after all, work in “guydom.”

The hardest part for everyone, I think, was when JR, the hubby’s right-hand man, got up to present him with his gifts. JR choked up and said he couldn’t do it. And the hubby, under his breath, said, “It’s OK, JR.” JR is sort of a gruff kind of guy, but he really feels a lot if you just know how to read it.

The hubby did get his new bibs and a hat from the guys, as well as a gift certificate to Red Lobster. The B&B guys (Bridges and Building) got him a set of tools to take with him. The surprise, once again, was JR. He gave the hubby a level board. A big level board. And it was just from him. He knows the hubby likes to build.

Jack, the rather gruff backhoe operator, got my attention and said, “Keep him moving, will you? Keep him healthy.”

I surely do intend to.

Henry, who has been retired for a few years now, showed up to give the hubby some advice.

When I asked the guys to smile for the photos Bill, the Wabash foreman, quipped, “Why? We have to go back to work!” And we all smiled as the reality began to sink in.

Nero, who has had some health problems, has had the habit of giving the hubby a Werther’s every day. It touched my heart that, as he came up to shake the hubby’s hand, he handed him one last piece of candy.

We walked out to the car. Not the company truck. It seemed sort of weird. And then we waved good-by.

There has been a huge (and not a good) shake-up in railroad management, and the more we hear, the happier we are that the hubby retired when he did. The man who was assigned to his job found out last night. He was assigned. The company will not move him. He does not get a raise. And he won’t assume the job immediately because he was hospitalized with a heart problem. Too much stress?

What the hubby said to me on the way home really put it all in perspective. As I have said, today he wore the bibs he wore on the day he went to work for the railroad thirty-four years ago. What he said was,”I’m so thankful that God answered my prayer. I have prayed many times that I could have a planned day of retirement, that there wouldn’t be an accident or a health problem that would take me out.”

He never shared that with me before, but I have to say that I am thankful too.

To God be the glory!

Pre-retirement

 

 

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Have I mentioned that I married a good man? That has been brought home to me over and over as I have watched him ready for this new stage in his life.

I have always told my children that their daddy would do a good job even if it was in a sewer and nobody ever saw it. And he would. But I was reminded of this as I watched his workers watch him retire. One of the comments that he heard repeatedly was, “Why are you doing that? You’re going to retire!” And his response was always that he was getting paid through April 30th so he would work through April 30th. In fact, even though this last weekend was not his on-call weekend, he was at the office taking care of things. His successor has not been chosen, and he wanted to make sure he didn’t leave any loose ends, or at least any that didn’t have to be there.

The hubby is not used to being fussed over, except by me and his kids, so I think the show of sentiment that he has received in his basically all-male workplace has really surprised him. He has served as a sort of father figure to some of his younger employees, and these men are telling him over and over again how much he will be missed. He just smiles when he tells me this. His local workforce is divided age-wise, and these are “the kids.”

But his contemporaries have had something to say, too. There was a big shake-up in upper management about a month ago, and one of the hubby’s long-time bosses was “banished” to Kentucky. Nevertheless, this man took time to call and wish the hubby well. Men that he has worked with for years, long before Norfolk-Southern absorbed ConRail, have been calling, too. And on Friday, he heard these words from one of his superiors:”What would it take to make you stay?”

We’ve prayed about this for over a year, and I know the time is right. Nevertheless, my heart was full as I watched him get dressed to work for the railroad for the last time. He really did wear those funky bib overalls that he started out in thirty-four years ago. And he said, “It must be sinking in. I have butterflies in my stomach.”

If you knew my husband, you’d know how much it would take for him to admit even that much.

One of the hubby’s colleagues said they envied him and then they said, “Go for it, man. Have a life.” I know exactly what he meant. The railroad has been a demanding job, and although the hubby had a life with it, I’m sure there will be huge changes now that he will have time (Lord willing).

So I go to the party at noon today. Just the guys, you know. And me. I am sure emotions will be running high. And I plan to come home with a lot of pictures, which I will post later.

In the meantime…here’s to having a life!

More on Those Signs

My son pointed this article out to me. I had no idea the signs I saw in Indianapolis were part of an ad blitz by a church.

I agree with the Rev. Andy Hunt of Body of Christ Community Church, quoted in the article, who said vandalism is always a wrong response. We are to hate the sin but love the sinner, and vandalism makes it appear that we hate.

The pastor of the church that sponsored the signs, Jeff Miner, says that the vandalism shows “the lengths some people will go to suppress ideas rather than have a dialogue.” I have to admit that I wonder if he is being truthful. Did he want a dialogue? He didn’t schedule a debate. Or did he want to get in people’s faces with what he thinks is right? If that’s what he wanted, his church opened the dialogue with some signs that are pretty in-your-face, and the response they got mirrors their attitude.

Of Star Trek and Iowa

I have always loved Star Trek. I think I love it because the good guys usually win and things usually turn out well. Or maybe because it portrays the future, something I haven’t seen yet, with hope. Not everybody in this world does that.

Anyway, I find it amusing that Riverside, Iowa wanted to be named the future birthplace of James T. Kirk. The show’s producers agreed.  Riverside has a plaque that marks Kirk’s future birthplace. They even have a birth date listed, although their year differs from that listed on the official website. The town has been holding a “Trek Fest” in June every year since 1985. And if you want a souvenir you can buy”Kirk dirt” (earth from his birthplace) for $10. There’s no Star Trek museum yet, but the mayor would like to have one.

Steve Miller, the guy who started it all in 1985, thinks that Riverside better get its lasting Star Trek memorial soon. Miller says,“It’s been 40 years since Star Trek and most youngsters have never seen it. Time is running out.”

I disagree. I’ve met a lot of young Star Trek fans out there. Parents who liked Star Trek tend to inflict it on their kids, and some of those kids become fans as well. I know ours did.

So…Riverside, Iowa, this is my wish for you.

Live long. And prosper.

Uplifting

Ronda over at MORE FOR YOUR LIFE posted this video of a sign team’s rendition of the song WHO AM I by Casting Crowns. The video really is encouraging. I hope you come away feeling blessed, as I did.

Disturbing

Yesterday, my friend Jackie in Ohio sent me a link about a public high school in New Jersey that held a terrorist drill with CHRISTIAN terrorists. I didn’t believe it, so I got on the net to look for more info. Sure enough, I found some, although not in main stream media. I did find something by Michelle Malkin, though, and I think she’s a pretty reliable source. According to her, the terrorists were portrayed as Christian fundamentalists who did not believe in the separation of church and state. And the reason for their actions? The daughter of one of the men had been expelled for praying before class.

According to Malkin, this is not the first time such a scenario has been staged. The last was three years ago in Muskegon County, Michigan. The terrorists? Wackos against Schools and Education, who believe everyone should be homeschooled.Now, I will admit to you that I often skip the evening news, but still…I am betting that this earlier instance didn’t make it into mainstream media either.

Personally, I am sort of tired of Christians being portrayed as wackos. Some of the kids at school throw up their hands when describing people, saying things like, “Well, they’re full-blown Christians. They’re all like that.” The kids listen when I tell them that I am a Christian, too. But I don’t think it changes their mental image of things much.

Then today, on a trip to Indianapolis, the hubby and I saw this sign. You know how people have signs on their lawns about the Ten Commandments? This was a similar sign, and it quoted Scripture. But what it said, citing II Samuel 1:26 was this: David loved Jonathan better than a woman. And it gave a website to visit: wouldJesusdiscriminate.com.

Initially I didn’t go to the website.  Then I went to make sure of my wording.  Wouldn’t want to misquote anyone.  But I am disturbed by the sign. I don’t think Jesus would discriminate per se, but He would call a sin a sin. And I don’t see how somebody could quote this verse, apparently in favor of homosexuality and ignore all the other references the Bible has that are against sodomy. Besides. the verse is taken out of context. David and Jonathan were friends. David was on the run for his life for a while and probably quite thankful to have that friendship.

I saw this same logic used on a comment made here. The commenter uses references from the story of Ruth to back up a claim that the Bible refers to gay people in a positive way. Once again, in my opinion, the passage has been taken out of context. Ruth and Naomi were friends. Maybe the reason Ruth chose to stay with Naomi after she was widowed instead of returning to her home was that Naomi had been more friend to her than anyone at home ever had.

I heard somebody say once that you have to look at the Bible as a whole instead of just taking pieces out of it. They likened it to looking in a mirror. If you look in a cracked mirror, you don’t get a true reflection. Those who take the Bible out of context don’t know the whole story, so in my opinion, their interpretation is flawed. They need to know the story, including the Author. Only then can they get the true picture.

For the record, I don’t know any Christian terrorists. I do know some Christian sinners, and I number myself with them. The Bible says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). I believe that homosexuality is a sin, but no worse than lying. Or murder. It’s just another way that human beings fall short.

Both of these instances are sad statements about our society. We have adopted the idea that there is no right or wrong, and anyone (like a Christian) who believes that there is becomes a target for criticism and ridicule. I think we ought to return to the Word of God and let it convict us. Hebrews 4:12 says this:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

For my part, I am going to pray both for the people who organized those terrorist drills and for the people who put up those signs. Maybe they are being convicted. Maybe that’s why they feel the need to misread the Bible or run down those who do believe in what it says.

Coyotes

There are coyotes in Indiana. Did you know that?

I first learned of the coyotes from my kids. They went to camp in Indiana, and when they went to “primitive” camp, the daughter didn’t like the fact that there were coyotes in the woods. I’ve got to admit that I didn’t believe her.

Then we moved here. There is a woods behind the high school where I work where a pack of coyotes run. You can hear them in the early morning. And closer to home, I have seen coyotes along River Road, a little more than a mile from my house.

So, you live in the city and you think you’re safe? Maybe. Maybe not. Watch this.  It doesn’t appear that coyotes are especially dangerous.  Not like bears or anything.  Still, seeing them is not something you would expect.  Especially in the city.

That Nagging Feeling

To celebrate our twenty-ninth anniversary, the hubby and I are going to this I PROMISE marriage conference. The conference is being held locally (well…in South Bend) and comes five days after he retires. Now let me make this clear. I think I married a gem of a man, but he agrees that with starting this new, post-railroad era of our lives, it might be good to go to a conference and recommit to connecting with each other.

I have been thinking about this because one of the women with whom I work has been telling a lot of stories about what a nag she is, and I don’t want to be there. I have always sort of felt that part of the reason what the hubby and I have is good is because he has a sort of wanderlust and his job provided an outlet for that. I like to wander, don’t get me wrong. I also have a strong mother instinct which, I think, is pretty much satisfied by my job. HOWEVER, I have told the hubby in the past that I was afraid that if he retired I would smother him. And I sort of am. Not scared exactly, but thinking that the adjustment won’t be easy.

It’s like when the hubby used to travel and then get laid off in the winter. The kids and I had our own routines, and when the hubby was stuck at home, there was a period of adjustment during which he seemed to think that we should conform to his routine, and we, um…didn’t see it that way. It led to some conflict.

Anyway, back to the nagging. The lady that I work with doesn’t like to carry things and she has recently had two conflicts with her husband that resulted out of this.

Now let’s be truthful. All of us married people have things we would rather not do because, well, to us anyway it appears that these things are easier for our spouses. In my case, one of those things is packing things away. I admit it. We have this slicer that the hubby likes to use, but then you have to wash all the parts and then you have to fit it back in the box. I can wash it, but I have quite a time getting it to fit back in the box. So…the hubby put it away for me BEFORE he left for work at 5:30 this morning. Now that’s love.

Back to the story. The woman that I work with brings pop in for the kids when they fill out their assignment books. A good thing, right? And the kids look forward to the treat. She was late in passing them out last week, and the kids called her on it. “Well,” she said, as her face turned red,”there’s a big story about that.”

Seems she went to the store and sent her hubby in because she just doesn’t like to carry things. And he bought the case of pop. Problem solved, right? But her car was broken down, so she had to ride to school with a neighbor and she had to load her pop herself, something she doesn’t like to do. She used her neighbor’s headlights and got the pop out of the garage. When she got to school and got the pop inside, she noticed that it was diet, and she hit the roof.

The kids generally won’t drink diet, and she had told her husband that before she sent him to the store.

This lady called her husband at work and lit into him right away. The way she tells it, her tirade was greeted with silence. And then, her husband, biting off every word, said this:”I’m in a meeting. But I will tell you this. There were two cases of pop in the garage fridge, and one of them was diet. You must have picked up the wrong one.”

Click.

Now, this lady was ashamed when she told this story, and I understood that. I’ve been there. I tried to make her feel better and said, “Well, at least you weren’t on speaker.”

“Oh,” she said. “He learned a long time ago not to put me on speaker.”

Now, I am telling this story about my co-worker, but I have been a nag at times, and her situation made me think that I don’t want to be there again. I think she just convinced me to look at my own behavior again more closely, especially as the hubby and I are seeking the new rhythm our life will soon take.

Proverbs 19:13 says that “a nagging wife annoys like a constant dripping.” You know. Like water torture. I am praying that the marriage conference will give some tips so that if I find myself torturing the hubby, I ‘ll be convicted and leave that behavior behind.

Quickly. Because I really do love him.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails.

 

How Time Flies!

The son and daughter-in-law registered RJ for kindergarten tonight. How did he grow up so fast?

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Boy Books

I never had any problem getting the daughter to read. As a matter of fact, even though she works two jobs and an unreal amount of hours, she is still a prolific reader and brings me more books to read than I can keep up with.

It was not so with her brother. He liked to listen, but not necessarily to read by himself. One of the books that he did like were FAHRENHEIT 450, which he read in the fifth grade. I think he liked BRIDGE TO TEREBITHIA, although maybe that was the daughter. And I think he read THE OUTSIDERS. Mostly, I gave up and tried to have magazine around that would interest him so that he would read in short spurts. (As I recall, he did read THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and some Madeleine L’Engle books.)

I was thinking about this because I read a lot to the high school boys with whom I work. Most of the time, they can’t make heads nor tails of what they are reading if left to themselves, but if you read TO them, they will grudgingly confess that they like books. Well….some books. Currently, I am reading RUMBLEFISH by S.E. Hinton (who wrote THE OUTSIDERS) and SHILOH by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor to some of my boys. The Gary Soto books and the Gary Paulsen books also go over well. If I read to them

I was surprised to find this link on MSN about ways to get boys to read. The author suggests that boys might like ERAGON, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, DR.DOLITTLE and HOLES, mostly because there are movies that have been made of these books. I am thinking she might have a point. I remember that my son really liked THE NEVER-ENDING STORY. I bought the book, but I don’t know if he ever read it.  At least all of it. It was quite thick, and he had other things to do.

I don’t want to give you the impression that my son does not read, because he does. Or at least he did before adulthood and marriage and fatherhood got in his way. I think he is reading Dr. Seuss to the boys.  And I am sure he reads his professional literature and keeps up on the news.  But any mom of boys knows that it is sometimes a chore to find a book that a boy will read, and if your school, like the one in which I work, requires Accelerated Reader points, you might have a problem.

If you do, give the MSN article a look. It can’t hurt, can it?