It's always a startling transformation to the landscape for me when the corn is harvested. There's something about a cornfield that I like, I guess because the plant is so tall. Then when it's cut you can see all your neighbors again, as well as all the smoking tobacco barns.
Speaking of Corn
I kept wondering why I was seeing a few corn leaves at the base of some of the trees in Mom's yard. It would just be two or three, but every day those leaves would be there. Then it dawned on me what was happening. The squirrels were going out in the field and picking an ear or two of corn and bringing them back to the trees where they would shuck them and have a little party on field corn. I guess that party is over now.
Homecoming
Last week was homecoming at East Robertson. This being Jenna's senior year makes it big. She was involved in decorating the senior float and hallway. Their hallway theme was Whac-a-Warrior and they really went all out with their decor. Vicki, Jenna, and I went to the big parade last Thursday. It took all of five minutes and nine seconds for the whole thing to pass by. East wound up losing their big game (they played the McEwen Warriors). To add insult to injury there was a light rain the whole time. It was a good night for Vicki to volunteer in the concession stand with other Mt. Carmel folks. Jenna had a fun week. I am so glad she has the group of friends that she does.
College Shopping
Vicki and Jenna have made another college visit. A few of weeks ago they visited Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. The boys and I met them for dinner after our school day was over and they both practically glowed about the visit. Jenna still has a couple more colleges she wants to visit--which they plan to do in a couple of weeks--but if I were a betting man right now I think Trevecca is it.
It's Pumpkin Pickin' Time!
The arrival of autumn brings the pumpkin picking job for the kids. They've been helping Steve Freeland several times over the last few weeks and pocketed a little spending money to boot. Homework has been more of an issue this year. Ben has stayed home to hit the books a couple of times when Nate has worked, and Jenna has only had time to work twice. I think Steve has been glad to have whoever can come. He told me the wholesalers have been really steady this year.
Joe
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Monday, September 7, 2015
Special 500th Edition!
I am pleased to announce this milestone of the Swann Family News! Not only is this the 500th edition or posting of this little venture, but yesterday also marked the 12th anniversary of when this all started. The software I use estimates that I’ve typed almost 400,000 words to share stories of what goes on in our family with you. I never dreamed it would last this long.
To briefly recount the history, I began a journal of sorts in the form of letters to my father when I was in college at UT. The idea for the format was inspired by the “Dear Dad” letters Hawkeye Pierce would write to his father in the early seasons of M*A*S*H. I continued this until some time after Vicki and I married when I switched over to writing a daily log of our lives. That lasted for a number of years, but by the time Ben came along I couldn’t get to my notebook every evening. I quickly fell behind and then dropped the log completely. I regretted this, but life was so busy that I could never make that format work again.
I credit Bill Chatman for inspiring me to restart some sort of written record of our family life. I was returning a tractor and field mower I had borrowed when we got into a conversation and he mentioned the diary he had kept for years and how much he and his family enjoyed looking back through it when they had evenings at home.
That conversation stayed in the back of my mind for some time. I was really pondering it as I mowed the strawberry patch in Aunt Mar’s yard on September 6, 2003. That’s when I hit upon the idea of doing an email newsletter. The original idea was to try to send it out weekly, but not to be tied to any set schedule. I figured that if I were writing to an audience–even if I simply imagined that they enjoyed hearing from me–it would create some accountability to keep it up. Honestly, I thought I’d be doing good to last a couple of years or make it to 100 editions. I thought about getting to 500 editions while riding the mower that day, but laughed and told myself I’d never last that long. Today I laugh with the joy of exceeding my expectations.
All of you receiving this newsletter are people we love and treasure. Some of you we see or hear from frequently. Whether that’s the case with you or not–and it’s okay either way–know that you are a special part of our lives and we value you. Thank you for your indulgence with my writings. You have helped me stay true to my task.
Over the years I have become more aware of the fact that the people on my address list aren’t the only audience for this newsletter. I am also writing to people who will be special to me but aren’t yet part of my life. Any grandchildren our kids may bless us with are the first to come to mind. I look forward to the day that I can say to one of them, “Let me tell you a story of when your mom or dad was your age,” while opening a book, however I have that stored, and read some of these stories to them.
There have been very few changes to the Swann Family News over the years. I created a blog site at http://swannfamilynews.blogspot.com back in 2007 and have kept it current ever since in addition to sending the latest edition by email. You can go there and find every issue ever written.
With this milestone you will notice changes with the formatting or look of the newsletter. I’ve made the first four years of our newsletter into books for my family. They turned out nicely, but the process it took to put them into book form could have been a lot easier, and that only lent itself to printed books. I want to streamline this operation so that I can easily create both print and digital books for them. It will be a lot easier for my kids to duplicate digital copies of these books to pass along to their children when the time comes. And who knows, I might grow a wild hair and start including pictures!
So here we are at number 500. A lot has changed with our family. Jenna was starting kindergarten then and is in her senior year now. Ben was in Mom’s Day Out at church and is a lanky freshmen who towers above me and Vicki. And Nate, who was just six months old the, is a seventh grader with a big growth spurt just ahead. The years have brought lots of laughs and some tears. Pauline, who had just moved in to her new house behind us, passed away in 2010 and Aunt Mar will have been gone three years as of the end of this month. The little kids who drove the battery powered Gator across the field to Pauline’s are now driving real cars on public roads.
I’m not going to sell myself short and say this won’t be around for 500 more editions. I’ll keep writing until the project has run its course, though I’m not going to worry so much about writing weekly as I used to. I’ll simply publish when I can. There’s no telling what our family will look like by then. I’m simply thankful to my Creator who gifts each day for us to enjoy. More than anything else the Swann Family News is a testimony to our God who has been so good to me and my family. If I ever doubt that all I need to do is come back here and read.
Joe
To briefly recount the history, I began a journal of sorts in the form of letters to my father when I was in college at UT. The idea for the format was inspired by the “Dear Dad” letters Hawkeye Pierce would write to his father in the early seasons of M*A*S*H. I continued this until some time after Vicki and I married when I switched over to writing a daily log of our lives. That lasted for a number of years, but by the time Ben came along I couldn’t get to my notebook every evening. I quickly fell behind and then dropped the log completely. I regretted this, but life was so busy that I could never make that format work again.
I credit Bill Chatman for inspiring me to restart some sort of written record of our family life. I was returning a tractor and field mower I had borrowed when we got into a conversation and he mentioned the diary he had kept for years and how much he and his family enjoyed looking back through it when they had evenings at home.
That conversation stayed in the back of my mind for some time. I was really pondering it as I mowed the strawberry patch in Aunt Mar’s yard on September 6, 2003. That’s when I hit upon the idea of doing an email newsletter. The original idea was to try to send it out weekly, but not to be tied to any set schedule. I figured that if I were writing to an audience–even if I simply imagined that they enjoyed hearing from me–it would create some accountability to keep it up. Honestly, I thought I’d be doing good to last a couple of years or make it to 100 editions. I thought about getting to 500 editions while riding the mower that day, but laughed and told myself I’d never last that long. Today I laugh with the joy of exceeding my expectations.
All of you receiving this newsletter are people we love and treasure. Some of you we see or hear from frequently. Whether that’s the case with you or not–and it’s okay either way–know that you are a special part of our lives and we value you. Thank you for your indulgence with my writings. You have helped me stay true to my task.
Over the years I have become more aware of the fact that the people on my address list aren’t the only audience for this newsletter. I am also writing to people who will be special to me but aren’t yet part of my life. Any grandchildren our kids may bless us with are the first to come to mind. I look forward to the day that I can say to one of them, “Let me tell you a story of when your mom or dad was your age,” while opening a book, however I have that stored, and read some of these stories to them.
There have been very few changes to the Swann Family News over the years. I created a blog site at http://swannfamilynews.blogspot.com back in 2007 and have kept it current ever since in addition to sending the latest edition by email. You can go there and find every issue ever written.
With this milestone you will notice changes with the formatting or look of the newsletter. I’ve made the first four years of our newsletter into books for my family. They turned out nicely, but the process it took to put them into book form could have been a lot easier, and that only lent itself to printed books. I want to streamline this operation so that I can easily create both print and digital books for them. It will be a lot easier for my kids to duplicate digital copies of these books to pass along to their children when the time comes. And who knows, I might grow a wild hair and start including pictures!
So here we are at number 500. A lot has changed with our family. Jenna was starting kindergarten then and is in her senior year now. Ben was in Mom’s Day Out at church and is a lanky freshmen who towers above me and Vicki. And Nate, who was just six months old the, is a seventh grader with a big growth spurt just ahead. The years have brought lots of laughs and some tears. Pauline, who had just moved in to her new house behind us, passed away in 2010 and Aunt Mar will have been gone three years as of the end of this month. The little kids who drove the battery powered Gator across the field to Pauline’s are now driving real cars on public roads.
I’m not going to sell myself short and say this won’t be around for 500 more editions. I’ll keep writing until the project has run its course, though I’m not going to worry so much about writing weekly as I used to. I’ll simply publish when I can. There’s no telling what our family will look like by then. I’m simply thankful to my Creator who gifts each day for us to enjoy. More than anything else the Swann Family News is a testimony to our God who has been so good to me and my family. If I ever doubt that all I need to do is come back here and read.
Joe
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Dry, Brittle Summer Days
This summer may have started off wet, but we could use some rain now. The grass is so dry it crunches underfoot. Vicki and I played a game of horseshoes the other day. Every time a horseshoe landed it kicked up a little cloud of dust, quite unlike what happened two months ago when the horseshoes dislodged small dirt clods.
GETTING SETTLED IN. I haven’t written in a while simply because the change of pace in jobs has been a bigger adjustment for me than I anticipated. I’ve received a lot of encouragement--most notably Dr. Chaney, the founding headmaster at DA, said, “It’ll be like riding a bicycle all over again.” Truth be told, my lessons have wobbled quite a bit the first three weeks. Hopefully my bike ride is starting to even out. Vicki commented a few nights ago that I seem more relaxed than I have since beginning at DA.
It’s been quite interesting being part of school life once again. It’s been homecoming week at DA this week so all the halls have been decorated and the students have been dressing to the daily theme. On top of all the classes we’ve other activities like a school volleyball tournament, a trivia game, a dodgeball tournament, and a powderpuff football game. And then to have your own sons in class really makes the experience more personal.
Speaking of my boys, I want to say here how much I appreciate both of them. As I mentioned above, getting back into the classroom has been shaky, and both boys have been there to see it. Both of them have been honest and told me when things have gone well and when they haven’t. What I will treasure most about this time is that both of them have proven to be my biggest source of encouragement. Every father should have sons who have their back like I have in Ben and Nate.
DRIVING. Ben sure is getting the experience behind the wheel. A 30 mile commute to school allows for that. Early on I started letting Ben drive up 31W from Millersville on our way home. We gradually added a bit more over time. One day last week I noticed I-65 was practically deserted when we crossed it at Millersville and I gave Ben the option of getting on if he wanted.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, get over in the left lane.”
“So, you want me to get on now?”
“I want you to decide if you are ready. If you think you are, turn left.”
About half way up the entrance ramp he said, “I guess it’s too late to turn around now.”
He did just fine.
He’s been getting a lot more interstate practice since then, and I think we’ve only had two people blow their horns so that isn’t so bad for a beginning driver. I am proud of him not only for how well he’s picking up the skill, but also for how well he takes instruction and criticism. I’ve even found that if I hold my tongue for a moment he usually critiques himself out loud saying the very things that were on my mind. I think he’s coming along nicely. The true test is when he can take Vicki for a ride and not set off the “mom alarm.”
HOME SWEET HOME. I neglected to write about this last time, but we’ve been calling our house “home” for 20 years now. Mom had began renting the house some time around 1975. We took possession of it the summer after we got married (after having lived in an apartment in Springfield for a year). We spent the whole summer doing a lot of work to the house and moved in at the beginning of August of that year (1995). There were still several things left to be done because I remember having to wash dishes in the bathroom sink for about a week. Fortunately, we’ve been able to continue to add improvements (like insulation) over the years and it has been a wonderful home to raise a family in.
I feel sorry for Mr. Oley Simmons. He built the house in 1908 for his fiancée only to have her break up with him. He never married so he never got to enjoy his house the way we and other families have. To his credit, he had it built well. It truly is “home sweet home.”
SOME FAMILY NEWS. Since it has been three weeks since I last wrote I will catch up on our social calendar a bit.
Morgan is engaged! Next May Kenny will be walking his daughter down the aisle. Her financé, Jimmy Ring, is a great fellow and a wonderful match for her.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sue Hancock passed away. She and her husband, Elbert, were a special part of my life growing up. They would stop in to visit about once a month and Uncle Elbert would always spend time with me. We were always delighted to see them any time they dropped in. We were able to go to the visitation but not the funeral.
Speaking of the Hancock family, we went to a family reunion today. There weren’t as many folks there as usual, but it was fun to catch up with cousins you don’t see too often.
Finally, Vicki and I went to see the movie War Room. This was produced by the same people who made Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous. Once again, they knocked it out of the park. This film will make you rethink how seriously you take prayer.
WELL SAID. On the subject of faith, Jenna showed us an essay she wrote for her Dual Enrollment English class a few days ago, and with her permission I am sharing it here.
GETTING SETTLED IN. I haven’t written in a while simply because the change of pace in jobs has been a bigger adjustment for me than I anticipated. I’ve received a lot of encouragement--most notably Dr. Chaney, the founding headmaster at DA, said, “It’ll be like riding a bicycle all over again.” Truth be told, my lessons have wobbled quite a bit the first three weeks. Hopefully my bike ride is starting to even out. Vicki commented a few nights ago that I seem more relaxed than I have since beginning at DA.
It’s been quite interesting being part of school life once again. It’s been homecoming week at DA this week so all the halls have been decorated and the students have been dressing to the daily theme. On top of all the classes we’ve other activities like a school volleyball tournament, a trivia game, a dodgeball tournament, and a powderpuff football game. And then to have your own sons in class really makes the experience more personal.
Speaking of my boys, I want to say here how much I appreciate both of them. As I mentioned above, getting back into the classroom has been shaky, and both boys have been there to see it. Both of them have been honest and told me when things have gone well and when they haven’t. What I will treasure most about this time is that both of them have proven to be my biggest source of encouragement. Every father should have sons who have their back like I have in Ben and Nate.
DRIVING. Ben sure is getting the experience behind the wheel. A 30 mile commute to school allows for that. Early on I started letting Ben drive up 31W from Millersville on our way home. We gradually added a bit more over time. One day last week I noticed I-65 was practically deserted when we crossed it at Millersville and I gave Ben the option of getting on if he wanted.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, get over in the left lane.”
“So, you want me to get on now?”
“I want you to decide if you are ready. If you think you are, turn left.”
About half way up the entrance ramp he said, “I guess it’s too late to turn around now.”
He did just fine.
He’s been getting a lot more interstate practice since then, and I think we’ve only had two people blow their horns so that isn’t so bad for a beginning driver. I am proud of him not only for how well he’s picking up the skill, but also for how well he takes instruction and criticism. I’ve even found that if I hold my tongue for a moment he usually critiques himself out loud saying the very things that were on my mind. I think he’s coming along nicely. The true test is when he can take Vicki for a ride and not set off the “mom alarm.”
HOME SWEET HOME. I neglected to write about this last time, but we’ve been calling our house “home” for 20 years now. Mom had began renting the house some time around 1975. We took possession of it the summer after we got married (after having lived in an apartment in Springfield for a year). We spent the whole summer doing a lot of work to the house and moved in at the beginning of August of that year (1995). There were still several things left to be done because I remember having to wash dishes in the bathroom sink for about a week. Fortunately, we’ve been able to continue to add improvements (like insulation) over the years and it has been a wonderful home to raise a family in.
I feel sorry for Mr. Oley Simmons. He built the house in 1908 for his fiancée only to have her break up with him. He never married so he never got to enjoy his house the way we and other families have. To his credit, he had it built well. It truly is “home sweet home.”
SOME FAMILY NEWS. Since it has been three weeks since I last wrote I will catch up on our social calendar a bit.
Morgan is engaged! Next May Kenny will be walking his daughter down the aisle. Her financé, Jimmy Ring, is a great fellow and a wonderful match for her.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sue Hancock passed away. She and her husband, Elbert, were a special part of my life growing up. They would stop in to visit about once a month and Uncle Elbert would always spend time with me. We were always delighted to see them any time they dropped in. We were able to go to the visitation but not the funeral.
Speaking of the Hancock family, we went to a family reunion today. There weren’t as many folks there as usual, but it was fun to catch up with cousins you don’t see too often.
Finally, Vicki and I went to see the movie War Room. This was produced by the same people who made Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous. Once again, they knocked it out of the park. This film will make you rethink how seriously you take prayer.
WELL SAID. On the subject of faith, Jenna showed us an essay she wrote for her Dual Enrollment English class a few days ago, and with her permission I am sharing it here.
On Keeping FaithJoe
Throughout my 17 years, I have come to notice that I conduct myself differently from the way others act. Being different does not bother me; rather, it has just been a fact of my life. However, it was never more apparent until a few days ago when some fellow students were recounting what happened at a party over the weekend. As they were telling their story of other teenagers participating in underage drinking and casual sex, I found in myself that there was absolutely no desire to want to partake in activities such as this kind of party. Some might say that parties are a rite of passage as a teenager and call me a bore, but I say that even attending this type of party can tempt a person into sin. Sin is when we fall short of obeying the commandments of God, who is the Creator of everything, and follow our own will instead. The idea of there being absolute right and wrong may sound daunting, but through God’s teachings, I have learned that sins’ consequences are much harder to bear than if a person stayed away from it in the first place. The reason I believe in this way is because I am a follower of Christ and use God’s Holy Word, the Bible, as my guidance.
Believing in God and having faith in a Being that you cannot see is not an easy journey; some even call it crazy. My faith and belief in God, however, grows stronger with each passing day because I know He loves me unconditionally, and I want to show Him my love in return. Even when life gets tough, I am able to feel God’s presence pointing me in the right direction, and I suddenly feel unexplainable joy because I know He will always take care of me. The hope I receive from God is also reassuring. God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for EVERYONE’s sins so that we could live eternally with God in Heaven. Yet God does not want only me to experience His beauty, He wishes for all of His creation to come to know Him through Jesus Christ.
One way in which I share God’s love and message of hope is through the mission field. Back in March of 2013, I felt God prompting me to go to Haiti, one of the poorest countries of the world. I had only one dilemma; it cost almost two thousand dollars to go. The church I attend had just begun to offer trips, and I was struggling to figure out how I would raise enough money. However, with God, there is always a way. It took quite a bit of dedication, but in a little more than a year, I was headed to Haiti to share my love with the community of Jeremie. It was while I was there that God taught me to be grateful for each relationship I have, the provisions that He supplies for me, and to praise Him whenever possible because life is so very precious.
All in all, my faith simply boils down to the fact that God gives me hope and life. I understand that there will always be non-believers in this world; I have come to accept this fact, but I feel that God has commissioned me, as His follower, to change this for at least a few of His lost people. With all my heart, I will serve and love God and do whatever I can to help point others in His direction.
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