Happy Leap Day! I thought I’d write today since I don’t get to use this date but once every four years. Besides, we’ve had a great weekend trip since I wrote last and I want to share while the details are still fresh on my mind.
SCHOLARSHIP NEWS
About 15 minutes after I sent out the last newsletter Jenna got an email from Trevecca’s financial aid office. Unfortunately, she was not one of the two recipients of the McClurkan Scholarship. We did happen eat lunch with one of the winners the day we were there for the interviews.
Jenna still qualifies for other smaller scholarships and the university is going to send out information soon. We are waiting to see what the new options are before moving forward.
GETTING AWAY
Some time back in the fall I mentioned to Vicki that it had been years since we had been to the mountains. We kicked the idea around a bit but with Jenna’s trip to Haiti it never got put on the calendar. Then we found out that our nephew, Cameron, who is a freshman at Belmont Abbey College, had gotten a role in a play. Of course we wanted to go see him perform. Here’s the story of our weekend. Our adventures started Friday evening when we took off with the goal of getting to Knoxville where we spent the night.
BREAKFAST WITH FRIENDS
We stopped in Knoxville because we wanted to get in a quick visit with Brent and Sabrina Freeland and their family while passing through. We all met at Cracker Barrel and enjoyed great conversation around the breakfast table before getting on the road for the next leg of the journey.
CAMERON IN COLLEGE
We made pretty good time driving to Belmont, North Carolina. (We actually stayed in Gastonia.) Ben got a lot of mountain driving experience. Will, Darice, Zachary, and Emily had already arrived and checked in to the hotel. After getting unloaded we drove over to the college to visit Cameron.
I must say Aunt Vicki probably did nothing for Cameron’s self-esteem. Cameron grew out his beard for his character and her first reaction upon seeing him was to laugh. To be fair, we did not know Cameron had done this so it was a bit startling to all of us. I’m not much of a beard guy. I let mine grow for about two weeks when we were out for all the snow a few weeks ago but just didn’t enjoy it so I shaved. At least I know what I look like in a gray beard now. All personal preference aside, Cameron actually carries his off pretty well. I digress.
After meeting up with Cameron we got the tour which started with the dorm room. Vicki was exactly right when she said she experienced it with four of the five senses. Cameron and his roommate (who we did not meet) probably keep their room a little neater than I kept mine. It did take me back to my dorm days which I am glad are long behind me.
Belmont Abbey has a beautiful campus, even in the middle of winter. We walked around a bit before stopping at the university center to talk. After that we went out to Simonetti’s for pizza. When supper was over Cameron needed to get back to get ready for the evening’s performance and we headed back to the hotel to change.
THE LARK
The play the Abbey Players performed was The Lark by Jean Anouilh. It’s about Joan of Arc, recounting her life story through her trial. It was very well done. Cameron played the role of The Promoter and when he delivered his first lines he was in character so well that I really forgot he was my nephew. It was a pleasure to see him on stage.
Saturday’s performance was the final show for the Abbey Players before they move on Little Shop of Horrors. Cameron is not interested in doing musical so he won’t be trying out. With this being the last show Cameron posted the following on Facebook: “It's all said and done. The magic is over. The lines will be forgotten. The stage will be broken down. The costumes will be repurposed. But it will live on in our hearts. As long as we remember the joy that we had together, the play shall go on forever. Thank you all, this has been an amazing experience.”
Well said, Cameron. It was good to see you enjoying your college days. They’ll be gone all too quickly.
THE AMERICAN DOWNTON ABBEY
We got up Sunday morning and headed over to IHOP for breakfast with the Jones family (minus Cameron) before hitting the road. When we parted they went to pick up Cameron for Mass before heading to Georgia. We played hooky and headed to Asheville to get in a tour of Biltmore. Vicki and I last visited there in 1994. The kids had never been.
This was the third time I’ve seen Biltmore and I’ve found it impressive each time. I think the kids all enjoyed seeing it as well. Ben kept calling it “Downton Abbey.” We certainly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to tour the house and grounds. After about six hours we were done exploring so we loaded up and drove to Gatlinburg.
GATLINBURG
We arrived in Gatlinburg with no plans or reservations. Fortunately, this is the off season so we had no trouble getting a room right in the heart of town. We stayed at the Bearskin Lodge which was very nice and allowed us to walk everywhere we wanted. Last night we ate a late supper at the Smokey Mountain Brewery, and this morning we walked most of the main strip looking at shops before heading out. We made a couple of shopping stops in Pigeon Forge and Knoxville before heading home. All in all a great weekend away.
Joe
Monday, February 29, 2016
Friday, February 26, 2016
A House Full of Teenagers
The old groundhog didn’t see his shadow and it appears we are getting an early spring this year. It warmed up enough last weekend to wake up the tree frogs across the road. They were so loud we could hear them inside if the TV was off.
ANOTHER TEENAGER
Nate turned 13 on Valentine’s Day so we now have a house full of teenagers. He’s been really excited because it means a big raise in his allowance. I think he’s been looking forward to this raise for two years. Of course, another change for him is that he is about to hit another growth spurt. We’re just hoping it will wait a month or two until it’s warm enough to wear shorts for a few months. He’s already looking Jenna in the eye so it won’t be too long before our oldest is the shortest.
MAKER FAIRE
Nate has been involved in the Lego Robotics team at school this year. I was going to head up the team but when the bus driving opportunity came along I had to drop it. Nate stayed on and really enjoys it.
This team hopes to begin competing in the First Lego League competition next year. By the time the team was organized and purchased their equipment it was too late to make this year’s competition, however, they did set up a pretty impressive demo at the school’s Maker Faire a couple of weeks ago. As a matter of fact the whole event was impressive. There were almost three dozen booths set up in the Lower School gym with demonstrations and activities for most anything to do with science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). In addition to the Lego robotics you could build things with toothpicks and marshmallows, play with electric circuits, shake up your own ice cream, and even take in a show in a planetarium. We really enjoyed walking around and taking it all in.
THE TIN GRIN IS IN
Ben got his braces on Tuesday of last week (the 16th). We were prepared for his mouth to be really sore but he hasn’t complained about it hurting too much. Actually, old metal mouth is taking it all pretty well. That may be a different story when he is trying to play basketball with a big mouth guard in next year and can’t even call for the ball when he’s open. At any rate, he’s supposed to wear these things for 18 months. The first week has gone pretty well.
HAITI TRIP UPDATE
Now that Jenna is back home I know a few more details of the trip. As I said before, this was mainly a medical trip, but there were some of the 19 member team that took care of other projects, such as painting at the orphanage. One of Jenna’s best friends, Maegan, was part of this team. It was her first trip to Haiti and Jenna said she loved it.
I mentioned last time they had their medical clinic for two days and saw some 416 people. They also gave the kids at the orphanage checkups while they were there. The clinic was held in the church at the orphanage with the sanctuary being divided into rooms with twine and sheets. Jenna wound up assisting the doctor that went along and they made a good team. They also took a lot of second hand glasses and gave them to people whose vision tested poorly. I think a common story was how several older women got their livelihood back with a simple pair of reading glasses which restored their ability to sew or do other close up work.
Jenna said they didn’t have as much fun time with the kids at the orphanage as they had on previous trips, but they did take the kids to the beach one day which was fun for all. I think her favorite part of the trip was the Sunday night worship service where the offering became a big dance party for Jesus.
TREVECCA
I also wrote last time that Jenna had an interview at Trevecca University for a scholarship she is applying to receive. Vicki and I went with her that day and I must say that I am very impressed with the university. It was a big day which was both fun (at least for those of us not facing an interview) and full of information.
Jenna felt really good about her interview. She said the conversation went well and that the panel made several very affirming comments throughout. She also noted when we were leaving that they had not called the next candidate in and assumed they were still discussing her. We should know the outcome soon.
YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG
So we ate supper at Mom’s tonight. There were some dogs outside as we were leaving and Ben decided to bark at them. Of course, this got the dogs riled up and they barked back. Then they ran toward the house and Ben ran inside. We were laughing about this as we were driving home and in the conversation Vicki mentioned the scene from Stephen King’s Cujo where the person was trapped in a car without the keys and a vicious, rabid dog outside. At this point Ben said he could move the car from the inside if it were in neutral and he rocked back and forth. Well, when we pulled into the drive we stopped on a level spot, put the van in neutral, and made him try. His efforts were quite comical. Then he decided to get out of the van and just try to push it into the shed. Let’s just say he had better luck rocking the van back and forth from the outside but he didn’t make any progress until I got out and helped him. I had to get out when I did because we were laughing too hard. Youth is not a total waste on the young because it’s good for too many laughs.
Joe
ANOTHER TEENAGER
Nate turned 13 on Valentine’s Day so we now have a house full of teenagers. He’s been really excited because it means a big raise in his allowance. I think he’s been looking forward to this raise for two years. Of course, another change for him is that he is about to hit another growth spurt. We’re just hoping it will wait a month or two until it’s warm enough to wear shorts for a few months. He’s already looking Jenna in the eye so it won’t be too long before our oldest is the shortest.
MAKER FAIRE
Nate has been involved in the Lego Robotics team at school this year. I was going to head up the team but when the bus driving opportunity came along I had to drop it. Nate stayed on and really enjoys it.
This team hopes to begin competing in the First Lego League competition next year. By the time the team was organized and purchased their equipment it was too late to make this year’s competition, however, they did set up a pretty impressive demo at the school’s Maker Faire a couple of weeks ago. As a matter of fact the whole event was impressive. There were almost three dozen booths set up in the Lower School gym with demonstrations and activities for most anything to do with science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). In addition to the Lego robotics you could build things with toothpicks and marshmallows, play with electric circuits, shake up your own ice cream, and even take in a show in a planetarium. We really enjoyed walking around and taking it all in.
THE TIN GRIN IS IN
Ben got his braces on Tuesday of last week (the 16th). We were prepared for his mouth to be really sore but he hasn’t complained about it hurting too much. Actually, old metal mouth is taking it all pretty well. That may be a different story when he is trying to play basketball with a big mouth guard in next year and can’t even call for the ball when he’s open. At any rate, he’s supposed to wear these things for 18 months. The first week has gone pretty well.
HAITI TRIP UPDATE
Now that Jenna is back home I know a few more details of the trip. As I said before, this was mainly a medical trip, but there were some of the 19 member team that took care of other projects, such as painting at the orphanage. One of Jenna’s best friends, Maegan, was part of this team. It was her first trip to Haiti and Jenna said she loved it.
I mentioned last time they had their medical clinic for two days and saw some 416 people. They also gave the kids at the orphanage checkups while they were there. The clinic was held in the church at the orphanage with the sanctuary being divided into rooms with twine and sheets. Jenna wound up assisting the doctor that went along and they made a good team. They also took a lot of second hand glasses and gave them to people whose vision tested poorly. I think a common story was how several older women got their livelihood back with a simple pair of reading glasses which restored their ability to sew or do other close up work.
Jenna said they didn’t have as much fun time with the kids at the orphanage as they had on previous trips, but they did take the kids to the beach one day which was fun for all. I think her favorite part of the trip was the Sunday night worship service where the offering became a big dance party for Jesus.
TREVECCA
I also wrote last time that Jenna had an interview at Trevecca University for a scholarship she is applying to receive. Vicki and I went with her that day and I must say that I am very impressed with the university. It was a big day which was both fun (at least for those of us not facing an interview) and full of information.
Jenna felt really good about her interview. She said the conversation went well and that the panel made several very affirming comments throughout. She also noted when we were leaving that they had not called the next candidate in and assumed they were still discussing her. We should know the outcome soon.
YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG
So we ate supper at Mom’s tonight. There were some dogs outside as we were leaving and Ben decided to bark at them. Of course, this got the dogs riled up and they barked back. Then they ran toward the house and Ben ran inside. We were laughing about this as we were driving home and in the conversation Vicki mentioned the scene from Stephen King’s Cujo where the person was trapped in a car without the keys and a vicious, rabid dog outside. At this point Ben said he could move the car from the inside if it were in neutral and he rocked back and forth. Well, when we pulled into the drive we stopped on a level spot, put the van in neutral, and made him try. His efforts were quite comical. Then he decided to get out of the van and just try to push it into the shed. Let’s just say he had better luck rocking the van back and forth from the outside but he didn’t make any progress until I got out and helped him. I had to get out when I did because we were laughing too hard. Youth is not a total waste on the young because it’s good for too many laughs.
Joe
Thursday, February 11, 2016
College Prep
Snow was the big news I wrote about last time. The following Saturday (the 30th) it had warmed up so much I slogged through the slush in shorts and a tee shirt to check the mail. I think we got close to 70° the next day. It has cooled to more seasonal temperatures since and we even got a little snow Tuesday afternoon--enough to close school Tuesday, yesterday, and today. It’s almost laughable that we are out as traffic is moving normally on the highway. Again, it’s the tree covered backroads and the potential for black ice that are to blame.
GONE TO HAITI
The house is a little quieter this week because Jenna is in Haiti. We’ve heard some news from the team there, but Internet connectivity is limited. They left last Friday and arrived in Port au Prince that night. The next morning they flew on to Jeremie. This being a medical trip I know they’ve seen about 416 people in two days of their medical clinic. I’ll save the rest of the details until next time, but I do know the team made it back to Port au Prince today. We are looking forward to seeing Jenna tomorrow night.
COLLEGE VISIT
Jenna’s top college choice is Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. We certainly want to see her dream become reality but this dream rides on whether she wins some scholarships, particularly the McClurkan Scholarship which is a full tuition scholarship and only open to applicants by invitation. Jenna is one of about 40 applicants competing for two scholarships. We go to Trevecca on Monday for Jenna to be interviewed and to get another campus tour and other activities.
Given the fact that this might not work out Jenna and Vicki headed to Cookeville a couple of Fridays ago (the 29th) to tour Tennessee Tech. They really enjoyed the tour of the campus and Jenna came home saying that she would be happy going to school there if Trevecca doesn’t work out. Whether Jenna is meant to be a Trojan (Trevecca) or a Golden Eagle (TTU) it will all be good. I’m sure she would appreciate your prayers as she interviews Monday afternoon.
MORE COLLEGE PREP
Speaking of college prep, Ben has developed a love of Ramen noodles. If we’re home on the weekend or for snow I usually see him boiling noodles at some point. You just keep that up, son. Ramen noodles are a staple of the college diet.
END OF THE HOOP ACTION
The Junior Varsity Davidson Academy Bears played their last game last night, beating Ezell Harding in the process. They’ve completed a winning season though I’m a little behind on the record. Once I started driving the bus it got harder for me to keep up. The website says their win loss record is 9-5, but they don’t have scores for the last four games posted yet. Ben had a good season this year. He told us the other day his coach said he was the fourth highest scorer on the team. Not bad for the freshman year! We certainly enjoyed watching him play. I’ll miss the games but I’m also ready for things to settle down a bit.
CATARACT SURGERY
Mom had cataract surgery on her left eye last Thursday. She seems to be doing well, though she sort of questions the success of the surgery. I think one of the problems may be that the 20/20 vision in that eye has given her vanity a jolt. My mom does not have wrinkles like most people her age, but she can now plainly see the few that she has. I think one of the bigger adjustments for her is that the implanted lens has a fixed focal length making reading glasses more of a necessity than they were before. She is scheduled to have the right eye done next Thursday.
Joe
GONE TO HAITI
The house is a little quieter this week because Jenna is in Haiti. We’ve heard some news from the team there, but Internet connectivity is limited. They left last Friday and arrived in Port au Prince that night. The next morning they flew on to Jeremie. This being a medical trip I know they’ve seen about 416 people in two days of their medical clinic. I’ll save the rest of the details until next time, but I do know the team made it back to Port au Prince today. We are looking forward to seeing Jenna tomorrow night.
COLLEGE VISIT
Jenna’s top college choice is Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. We certainly want to see her dream become reality but this dream rides on whether she wins some scholarships, particularly the McClurkan Scholarship which is a full tuition scholarship and only open to applicants by invitation. Jenna is one of about 40 applicants competing for two scholarships. We go to Trevecca on Monday for Jenna to be interviewed and to get another campus tour and other activities.
Given the fact that this might not work out Jenna and Vicki headed to Cookeville a couple of Fridays ago (the 29th) to tour Tennessee Tech. They really enjoyed the tour of the campus and Jenna came home saying that she would be happy going to school there if Trevecca doesn’t work out. Whether Jenna is meant to be a Trojan (Trevecca) or a Golden Eagle (TTU) it will all be good. I’m sure she would appreciate your prayers as she interviews Monday afternoon.
MORE COLLEGE PREP
Speaking of college prep, Ben has developed a love of Ramen noodles. If we’re home on the weekend or for snow I usually see him boiling noodles at some point. You just keep that up, son. Ramen noodles are a staple of the college diet.
END OF THE HOOP ACTION
The Junior Varsity Davidson Academy Bears played their last game last night, beating Ezell Harding in the process. They’ve completed a winning season though I’m a little behind on the record. Once I started driving the bus it got harder for me to keep up. The website says their win loss record is 9-5, but they don’t have scores for the last four games posted yet. Ben had a good season this year. He told us the other day his coach said he was the fourth highest scorer on the team. Not bad for the freshman year! We certainly enjoyed watching him play. I’ll miss the games but I’m also ready for things to settle down a bit.
CATARACT SURGERY
Mom had cataract surgery on her left eye last Thursday. She seems to be doing well, though she sort of questions the success of the surgery. I think one of the problems may be that the 20/20 vision in that eye has given her vanity a jolt. My mom does not have wrinkles like most people her age, but she can now plainly see the few that she has. I think one of the bigger adjustments for her is that the implanted lens has a fixed focal length making reading glasses more of a necessity than they were before. She is scheduled to have the right eye done next Thursday.
Joe
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