On This Crystal Winter Morning

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Tenorboy

He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth," and to the rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour."  
(Job 37:6)

We woke up this morning to a spectacular snow. 

No, it wasn't the kind of snow that covers everything in a foot-deep blanket of white.  Rather, it was a light, fluffy, shimmering snow in which each perfectly formed snowflake is seen with the naked eye.

A crystal snow.

Each delicate flake sparkling with its own stunning brilliance.

God is Good.

Will you be my friend? Ummm ... No.

Will you be my friend?

No.

That's not the answer most people want or expect, but many time it is the answer they receive from me, especially on social media sites.

You might say it isn't very nice to say no to a friend request, especially from someone I know.  However, let's put this issue into perspective, shall we?

First, I used to be quite well-known in a former life (before we moved to the middle-of-nowhere Catskills).  That said, there are still people who think I'm their pal, when in reality I have no idea who they are.  I have to be careful of that.

Secondly, I'm a teacher.  Students who know me are prone to want to be facebook friends, etc.  I must be extremely careful to stay on my side of the line.

Thirdly, if things get back to me at work that are twisted misinterpretations of something that happened on facebook, it is a bad thing.  Very bad.   The vacuum cleaner will come out and it will suck up entire groups from my friend list in a hurry.  Believe me, it has happened before, and it isn't fun for anyone.

Finally, I don't want to be inundated with a bazillion useless status updates every day.  I want to enjoy my time on facebook without constantly clicking delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, delete .....

So,

Here are the guidelines for being "friends" with Tenorboy.

1. I have to actually know you.  This might seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many friends of friends I get who want to be my friend, just because both of us know so-and-so.
2. I have to have some friendly connection to you.  I know a lot of people.  Some are friendly to me, some are not.  If you are not, don't bother trying to be my social media friend.  It ain't gonna happen.
3. If I work with you, I most likely will befriend you IF you pass a simple but strict screening process.  The process?  I check all of your friends and their friends to make sure none of the office "moles" are present (you know who they are).  If you come out clean, we can be friends.
4. Students are accepted after they turn 18 and graduate, IF they meet all the other friendship requirements.  
5. Friend requests from family members are accepted.       

This might seem like overkill, or like I'm being paranoid or weird.  But let me point out that everyone (that's right, EVERYONE) has a similar set of criteria for facebook friendship.  I wrote mine down here on this blog.  You didn't.  That is the only difference. 

So, if you didn't get accepted as my friend, please do not take it personally.  Just understand that you may be too young, or too distant, or you had a history of mistreating me, or I simply don't remember you. 

That's just the way it has to be.

What the _________?!!?

There are few things that aggravate me more than hearing children say "what the ______."  They leave the blank in because their friends leave it blank.  Everybody does it.  There isn't any harm as long as they don't actually say the last word out loud.  Besides, it's cute when a kid cusses.

Right?? 

Wrong.

The omission of the "h" word or the "f" word does not mean the word isn't there.  Everyone who hears someone say "What the _____" knows full well the expletives that fill in the blank. 

Spoken out loud or not, a cuss is a cuss.

Why do we accept this from children?

Christmas Reflections

It isn't the tree, or the presents.

It isn't the food (even though I love ham gravy).

It isn't the music or the parties or the snow on the ground.

It's the Savior.  And even though December 25th is most likely not His birthday, it is a day set aside to commemorate His birth. 

It's no secret to those who know me that I don't do well with the stress of the holiday season.  The rushing and buying and wrapping and baking and worrying about how many gifts we bought for each person and trying to make sure everything is "even and fair" gives me a hole in the pit of my stomach.

That's why I'm so very glad to have this week off, to relax with my family away from home, away from the tree, the gifts, the bills, the stress. 

We were able to truly focus, if only for a moment, on Jesus and His birthday.  Not the other garbage that normally surrounds Christmas.

And it has been very good.

New York Pizzeria and Restaurant

On our way home from a concert in Edmeston today we stopped at a little Italian place in New Berlin, New York. 

From the moment our family walked in the door, we felt welcome to such a degree as I have not felt in a long, long time.  A table was prepared for us and we were seated without delay.  The staff was friendly, the atmosphere was warm, and the food was superb.

About the food:

As we are on a limited budget (my wife and I have 5 children), we generally order simple food without many frills.  Today was no exception.  Our family enjoyed 2 large cheese pizzas and a round of root beers.  Also, my wife and I split an order of bruschetta.

The bruschetta was prepared on a split loaf of small Italian bread.  The bread was toasted and seasoned.  Sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic and onion with fresh basil topped the bread.  It was delightful and fresh - very different from other recipes I've tried.

The pizza - the crust was hand-tossed.  Not even all the way around, but rustic and light nonetheless.  The sauce was extraordinary - fresh and chunky with just the right amount of oregano to make it pop.  The cheese (I don't remember what kind of cheese it was - I did ask) was creamy and soft without being overly greasy or gooey. 


All this at a price that makes me want to take my family back again and again. 

Thank you, New York Pizzeria and Restaurant!  You get two thumbs up!

Thankful ....

Being thankful is a personal thing for many.  For some (myself included), thankfulness takes on a deeply personal meaning few others will ever understand. 


I'm thankful for a warm house and a comfortable bed.

For the elegant city lights as we approach the city.

For children and their cousins who stay up all night talking like old friends.

And a little girl who like to play with my flashlight.

For my dog, stupid as the day is long.

For a loud houseful of people.

For my father-in-law's coffee, even though it's been known to melt a spoon.

For plenty of food to eat.

For a beautiful, loving wife who does so much more than she realizes.

For my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.



Thank you, God, for all of these things.

A Checkout to Remember

A few days ago I was at the grocery store.  There really isn't anything unusual about that, as I generally stop for groceries most days.  Sometimes I just have to pick up something small (a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread) and sometimes a larger order is required. 

This trip to the store differed from the norm, however, not in the items in my basket, but in the events that unfolded at register 1. 

You see, I try to make it a point to get to know the people who work in the stores in which I shop.  I know their names, where they go (or went) to school, the music they like, their political views, etc.  It's like being with friends every time I walk through the doors.

Anyway, As I was standing in the checkout line, one store employee came over to me and said, "I wanted to let you know that it has been a great privilege to serve you over the last few years.  This will be my last night of work here, and I didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye to you."

I asked the usual series of questions.  Where are you going?  What will you be doing?  Will you be moving there? 

I teared up at his words, partly because of his outstanding character, but mostly because it's unlikely that our paths will cross any time soon, and I'm gonna miss him.   

I wished him well, and we shared a handshake and a friendly (manly?) hug. He thanked me. 

"No," I said.  "It is I who should thank you."