The Suburban Farmer

You knew a Buick could hold a bunch of golf bags in the trunk, but did you realize how easily it holds peat moss, composted cow manure, and mushroom compost?  Time to get the garden boxes planted!

Mission Accomplished

I have been inspired and challenged by my friend Bobby's recent accomplishment.
Yesterday, he completed his first marathon, the New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.  His consistent training routine and persistence in the run is admirable.
Good job, Bobby!

15

Today, my oldest turned 15.  That's her on the right.  I am very blessed to be her father and quite proud of the young woman she is becoming.  Happy birthday "D. girl."   I love you.   -Dad

25 Posts

My wife challenged me to set a goal for my blog.  So here it is:
I am going to try for 25 blog posts in the month of March.  Expecting this will be tougher than it seems.

The Things We Despise In Others...

Have you ever noticed that the things we despise in others are almost always the things we struggle with ourselves?  This segment of a Donald Trump interview may be the best illustration of this concept that I've ever scene.  Check it out and then be aware of the same phenomenon in your own life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=axM0_Zub0Dw#t=583s

Feast or Famine?

Last night my wife and I watched Episode 203 of The Endless Feast on pbs.  The episode was set in the Arkansas delta, and the accents were as wonderfully diverse as the dishes for the feast.  It was encouraging to see people who were enjoying their work and providing healthy, natural products to their community.

At the end of the episode, the various members of the community came to one long table to enjoy the meal. While I'm not criticizing the motives of the show, I must comment on the irony.  The meal was obviously fresh and delicious, and each person was rightfully proud of what she or he contributed; however, I was saddened by the absence of thanksgiving to the Creator-- from whose hand all of the food and drink was provided.  Perhaps this show is a fitting postmodern metaphor of where we are spiritually in America today-  feasting on all that satisfies for only a short time, and forgetting to invite the Invisible, Eternal, Immortal to the table.

Buzz Words

Words matter.  The words we choose often carry an impact beyond their mere meaning.  When I was a youngster in school, I was often perplexed by the way certain words or phrases were suddenly "cool" or (more accurately) over-used.  It's funny how some things don't change.

Recently, I've noticed certain words being used far more than they should and in some very unusual contexts.  For example, why are so many people using the term "drill down" in speaking about data?  Why do so many people think that starting their sentences with the conjunction "so" makes them seem smarter than the average bear? And why is everyone fascinated with the term "pipeline"?  Has the oil industry had such an impact on our language?

Perhaps I'm just on the outside of the cool circle (which has always been the case), but I prefer to abstain from trend-speak.  What buzz words have you noticed lately?