Flashback to the Old Days

Sue and Lynn crusin'
Originally uploaded by susanlprince.

It's been kind of a downer being back home in TN. I had such a great time in Ohio that being back here feels like a letdown, just like the day after Christmas or something.

I guess right now I am feeling a bit "stuck". Being home in Ohio, made me long for the "old days", you know, those days where fun was king and responsibility was next to null. In those days I wasn't doing much thinking about the future, or how all the bills would be paid, or how decisions I was making now could effect my life or the lives of others. It is not that I was ever overly irresponsible, but I was a kid once, and sometimes I want that time back again!

I want the biggest worry of my day to be I hope Lynn's mom will let her go to the movies tonight, or I need to study for the civics exam, or when is Gram gonna make the next batch of beaten bisquits? Ahhhhhh, those were the days.

Come to think of it, those civics exams were pretty big stressors. I guess in twenty years, the things that are making me feel "stuck" today will be what I look back to as "nothing" and will long to return to again.

I wonder if Jesus ever reminisced about the "old days" and asked "Hey, Ma, remember that time you and dad took off and left me in Jerusalem, and left me alone for three days?!" or "guys, remember when that wedding celebration in Cana started to wind down and a little bit of wine jumpstarted it? Yeahhh...those were the days!" It bloggles the mind!

Rest

I have really enjoyed my vacation thus far. It is so nice to get away from work and even to just be out of my own home for awhile. I am getting some quiet and peaceful rest at my parent's house this weekend and it is nice.

You know, I've been able to see some old friends this weekend and play "catch up" and that is nice and I have really enjoyed it, but most of all I've enjoyed sitting around not doing much of anything.

My parent's have a quiet existence here in Medina, OH. There's a swing out front that is nice to sit on and sway while reading or simply watching life pass by as kids roll by on their bikes and adults are out excercising with a brisk walk. Some pet owners are walking their dogs and other's are working in their yards.

Dad likes to watch tv so I've been sitting in the living room watching some with him. I enjoyed watching the Indians play this evening and in the 7th they are leading the Cardinals 9-2, yay!

Gram spends much of her time reading and doing crosswords, just keeping her mind sharp and I am just astonished as to how she can answer all the Jeopardy question, or rather, question all the answers! She blew me away in Wheel of Fortune too tonight!

Mom plays around on the computer some, checking email and playing Suduko, and so I often meander to see what she is up to. We sit and chat for awhile and it is such a blessing.

I'm really getting some rest and it feels good. I've enjoyed my time alone during my long drive here and I'm also enjoying the calm environment of my parent's home. Not alot goes on here, and sometimes I say it is boring, but this time I have tried to embrace the inactivity and enjoy just lounging around. I can honestly say I'm happy doing that. I love my mom, dad and Gram, and I have really enjoyed just being around them.

Swenson's

Yay!

I got to go to Swenson's! I got to go to Swenson's!

For years when I've come home to visit, getting a burger at Swenson's was something I have wanted to do. Unfortunately, Swenson's is closer to Akron and the drive is a bit out of the way. Today, however, Mom and I made our way over to Montrose, and placed an order at Swenson's.

Swenson's, is an old-fashioned drive-in. When you pull in and park, it is necessary to turn on your headlights to let the carhop know you need attention; to get a menu, to place an order or to ask for more ketchup. The carhops literally run to service their customers so the place is abuzz with carhops dashing to and from cars and shouting orders into the kitchen. When they come out with your food, a tray is hooked on to a partially opened driver-side window.

Swenson's, while it's look has been updated, the food is just as I remember it. I love the cheesburgers! Yum! They have a "sweet" taste, (from a special secret formula) like no burger from any other place I've eaten. Sonic, the drive-in around my area in Tennessee, has nothing on Swenson's!

Swenson's burgs are absolutely delicious, so if you are ever in the Akron, OH area, I urge you to check out Swenson's. Wow! What a treat!

Just Pray

While my friend Deb and I were chatting, we started wondering about how Christians can become so ensnared in sin that they backslide and seem to turn away from the faith. At one point I said "sometimes all you can do is just pray".

Deb took exception to the fact that I said "just pray". She was asking why we sometimes say, when we have seemingly tried to do everything to help in whatever situation, that all we can do is "just pray". She said we should pray in every situation and that saying "just" pray diminishes the role of prayer and the power in contains. I think she speaks truth!

I explained that humans have a tendency to want to "fix" things, or do something. We want to be able to do something to help, and that seems natural. When we surmise that we are unable to help, we default to "just praying" for whatever situation. Deb said, and she is correct, that prayer should be the first thing we do!

In an email back to Deb, after I pondered what she had to say about "just pray" during my drive home, I wrote:

"It is amazing how conversation can bring forth tiny tidbits that can revolutionize one's thinking. You know, your pointing out why we say "just pray" really stopped me in my tracks. I've been pondering that since you brought it up and realize that praying IS doing. If we "just pray" we are basically admitting that we aren't believing God can do what He says He can do. If we pray, we are recognizing God will do what He says He will do and we are praying with faith. Praying is asking God to do what He can do, since we can't do anything. You are right, praying it is the best thing we can do."

I think I'll start a campaign, "I don't just pray, I PRAY" or (in line with "don't just sit there, do something!") "Don't just pray there, PRAY THERE!"

Saying "just" would seem to indicate that we lack the faith to believe prayer changes things. It says, in a way, that "I can't do anything, I don't see a way out, so I just pray". Where is the faith in that? "So I just pray." Where is the confidence?

James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

James doesn't say "just pray"...he encourages us to PRAY! He tells us that prayer is "powerful and effective"! Prayer is an offensive weapon in the spiritual battle. While we may put on our spiritual armor in defense of satan's attacks, prayer gives us an offensive weapon to battle with. The weapon is "powerful and effective".

So, when spiritual warfare is at hand, and the battle near, I plan to PRAY FIRST and ask questions later!

Home - Sunday

I woke up early today so I could meet up with Deb at 8 in Amherst, about an hours drive from Medina. I always make it a point to get out to see Deb when I am home. She is an ex-colleague of mine from my teaching days, and is one of my spiritual mentors. We have so much great conversation when we get together and it is time I really enjoy.

I arrived a tad early, but Deb was ready and waiting. She came out to greet me as soon as I arrived and said she was going back inside the house for something. When she came back out, I got out of my jeep and said "you want to drive?". She seemed excited to drive the jeep and hopped in. I figured since she knows where she is going in her hometown it would just be easier.

We headed to Bob Evans because I love the dinner rolls there. Unfortunately, they are dinner rolls and not available at breakfast time. Drat! Anyway, we prayed over our meals and ate. We spent time talking and then when breakfast was over she asked "You wanna go see the lake?" and I always like to go up to see Lake Erie. It was a beautiful day, bright blue sky with not a single cloud to be seen, and the perfect temp on a cool morning, but not cold enough that I needed a jacket. We found a place at one of the local beaches and sat on a bench overlooking the area. There was a volleyball tournament going on, so there was a lot of activity for an early Sunday morning. Deb and I chatted for about 2 hours there and then decided to go to the pier. Well, we drove over there but couldn't find the way in so Deb kept driving and we eventually ended up in downtown Cleveland. I snapped some pics as we drove by the Cleveland Brown's Stadium, Jacob's Field, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Burke Lakefront Airport which had the Grand Prix running today so it was a flurry of activity.

We drove around downtown a bit and I marvelled at how nice the city looked. Snapped a shot of Terminal Tower and headed past "The Q", what used to be Gund Arena. (I always thought the Gund Arena sounded like a venereal disease, so that's a good name change!) That was a nice drive on a Sunday afternoon and then we headed back to Amherst. There, we checked out Hotdog Heaven where their specialty is pizza. No! I lied! It's hotdogs! After we ate lunch, we went across the street for some soft serve ice cream that was a real treat!

It was so great to spend the day with Deb. I feel so blessed to talk with her and it seems each time I do, we get to pondering and discussing so many issues. I just love it. Deb can challenge me with great questions and I always come away having learned something new. What a great day!

Lynn and Sue

Lynn and Sue
Originally uploaded by susanlprince.

Mom organized a reunion of sorts to celebrate a number of things. One thing we celebrated was my homecoming. We were also celebrating landmark birthdays in 2006 as later this year I will turn 40, Dad turns 70 tomorrow and Gram will be 90 in the fall. That's a lot to celebrate! Another thing to note is that today mom and dad have been married 45 years! Woohooo!

I shared in the previous post about how my dad met my mom, and I retold that story to the gathering today and it was a huge hit!

I got to see my god-parents who I haven't seen in seven years, and Dee, a very close friend of the family. I saw people I once went to church with eons ago when I was in high school and college. My sister drove up from Columbus with her husband so I had time to chat with them and with my niece Pilar. I met some new people and had a good time all around.

One of the biggest treats was that Lynn, my best friend from high school, came too! Wow! We've managed to stay in touch every now and then over the years, but it had been three or four years since I'd seen her. She came up for the homecoming celebration and we had a blast together! In fact, we went crusin' and drove back to our old high school, reliving some memories and sharing a bunch of laughs. It was just like old times...well, all except for the fact that it is so easy to get lost because so much has changed! Amazing how one can get lost in an area that we once knew like the back of our hands!

I really had a wonderful time today, so thanks Ma!

After 45 Years I Finally Learned...

how my parents met.

While we were out running a morning errand, I asked my dad today how he met mom. This is what he shared with me:

"I was cruisin' in my powder blue convertible with dark blue interior and usually when I came to this one intersection, I would take the main road because it had a traffic light. Then, one time, I decided to go straight and go an extra block. At the end of that little street, there was a house and you would pull right up to it if you kept going straight and didn't turn."

He continued,

"I looked up to the house and on the porch was this girl, twirling a baton (Mom was a majorette!). I thought to myself 'she's cute', so being the brave man I was I went to my friend's house, picked him up and said 'c'mon with me'. As we were driving back to the cute girl's house, we saw her walking with a friend on the sidewalk. I pulled up to them and your mom said 'Hi Don!' and I was shocked because I didn't know her, but she obviously knew me. (Later Dad learned that Mom knew him because he had once dated her cousin.) The girls explained they were headed to the drugstore and I said 'hop in, I'll drive you down', and so they did! That was the day I picked your mom up!"

So, my dad was stylin' and cruising and literally picked up my mom! I think that's pretty cool!