Apparently I am not meant to remember all that well lately! As I mentioned earlier, I have started the indoor lacrosse season, but that shouldn’t be slowing me down. We will see. Give me a few days to get my ship righted!!

Of course I am only aware of a few people who read this with any regularity, and of the ones I know, most would be too polite to say “Hey dufus, get with the program.” (Everyone probably thinks it, but I have a pretty mannered following!) I do remember why I do this, and it is good for me. It just needs to be good for me a little more often if I am using it to measure my recovery.

For any who do not know, originally this was to be a thematic posting of issues I face as a priest, and the happenings in the larger Church. But that whole stroke thing interfered with that plan, so I began to use this as a way to remember, creatively write, and therapeutically (self-induced) force myself into full-function. As we can all see, I have a bit to go, but if I go back to where I started I could not even imagine being here today. I still struggle, but am amazing comparatively!

Today Amanda and Ben and I were in both Nashville and Kokomo for two of the five Blessing of the Animals services that I will be doing through Monday. Today I blessed only 7 dogs, which is about one dog for every 100 miles driven today, but it is one of my favorite services. Tomorrow there will be two more…..one in Westfield at 3 and one in Anderson at 4:30. Monday will see me in Greenfield at 7pm. So far no cats, no lizards, no snakes (other than Ben) and no rodents. I may just hop the fence at a farm on my way home and bless a few horses and cows!

Anyway, we are home and getting ready for bed. We are well-traveled and worn out! It has been a blessed day.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

Indoor lacrosse started this evening, and Scott had a game as well as one of our women’s teams. The squad that my daughter plays on plays tomorrow.

In terms of Noblesville Lacrosse, there are a total of three men’s teams in indoor and two women’s teams. Tonight was a night like many, where Scott’s game and one of ours overlapped. It will chaotic I am sure until the regular season starts in March. It was just good to get back out on the field.

In our women’s game tonight we played Carmel. They are a constant rival and a great team to play. We got clocked, but I was very pleased. 4 of my 12 players were in their very first game and were learning not just the rules but how to play. They did great! And though my more experienced players wanted to get out there and really sock it to them, we all have our eyes focused on the prize. The regular season is where we want to win, and this is really development for us. The girls got A LOT of playing time….and by March we will not ave a worry in the world! Our squad that plays tomorrow has an equal number of inexperienced rookies, and we are holding onto the same strategy! it is going to be a great year!

As for me, there is little I enjoy more than being out there. Sure, I would like to be out on a hockey rink somewhere giving it a go, but at may age most hockey players are retired! I suppose I am as well. This is fun enough….plus when I played hockey I wasn’t allowed to drink Diet Pepsi all through the game, while here I am!

Anyway, it is off to bed for me. I am excited about tomorrow!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

Well the hopes of Ben going back to daycare this week are now gone. We are just too busy to risk the flu here at all. So tonight I made the decision that Ben would be my assistant the rest of the week. AND….since our sitter is on vacation MTW of next week, it appears he will be hanging with me for quite some time.

No, he is certainly not my “Mini-me.” He is far more that for his brother than I. But he loves working with me. We cannot go into hospitals or anything like that. But he can go do meetings and lunch and the the churches (since they all have nurseries!) He actually LOVES hanging out. He loves the guys I work with. And he certainly LOVES the eating part too.

With that however, I am off to get a few things done. I hope to be blogging more tomorrow about things other than little Ben and I’s troubles and travels. We will see! I am just happy I am able to hang with him. I am looking forward to the next few days!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tom+

Ben and I are partners in crime once again now that the flu is making its way through his babysitter’s home. He was with me all day today, and tomorrow will be the same. And I have committed to working from home this week just to be safe.

In truth, I love it. Ben and I work very hard at the fine art of goofing off. It does make work a challenge, but I need to confess that generally work is a lot more fun with him around! Right now as a matter of fact, I am on “get Ben to go to sleep duty.” I have him here next to me in my bed while I type with him putting his blanket over his head saying “stuck, stuck, stuck.” He’s not really stuck…..he is just attempting to lure me into the game. He is pretty good at it too. Just now when the louder voice didn’t get my attention, he began whispering it. Neither method has yet to work for him.

But he does need to knock it off and head to snoozyland! After all if he doesn’t get there soon he will be totally unsupervised because he has worn me out! That’s all I would need to have her come up and discover him babysitting a snoring me!

So off to un-stick his little fanny to sleep. It has been a great day but I am finishing this up so that we can get in trouble together. He is my little partner in crime, okay mostly Scotty’s but tonight mine! Off we go to await our sentencing!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless. Send the bail money to our home address!

Tom+

It seems now like all a blur, but the Bishop is gone, my mother-in-law has returned home, and I actually had a nap late this afternoon (unintentional in the middle of the Bears game). Fortunately for me, the nap was not too long and I was able see most of the game.

Stephanie and Scott are now both working and Ben is going to bed. Amanda will disappoint him as she leaves his room, but I am certain he will throw a fit. He as had a LOT of attention this weekend, and has been searching from his grandma. It is pretty hard for him since he really doesn’t understand why people leave. He cries when each of us goes to work or to school. But being a grandson myself, I know the stress of having grandma leave! I still do not do well with that one!

Tomorrow however things should be completely back to normal. I will be taking a little time in the morning to catch up on my mental and physical health and hopefully be back in full swing by noon. It is good to have all these things behind me.

Off to declare this weekend over! Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

It seems now like all a blur, but the Bishop is gone, my mother-in-law has returned home, and I actually had a nap late this afternoon (unintentional in the middle of the Bears game). Fortunately for me, the nap was not too long and I was able see most of the game.

Stephanie and Scott are now both working and Ben is going to bed. Amanda will disappoint him as she leaves his room, but I am certain he will throw a fit. He as had a LOT of attention this weekend, and has been searching from his grandma. It is pretty hard for him since he really doesn’t understand why people leave. He cries when each of us goes to work or to school. But being a grandson myself, I know the stress of having grandma leave! I still do not do well with that one!

Tomorrow however things should be completely back to normal. I will be taking a little time in the morning to catch up on my mental and physical health and hopefully be back in full swing by noon. It is good to have all these things behind me.

Off to declare this weekend over! Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

The Confirmation service went well and the Bishop was able to see three of our Mission Churches in one day. Tomorrow he will see the fourth. It is a lot of driving, but we wanted him to see all of them during his trip out to Indiana. Tomorrow in the morning we will head to Nashville to see the last.

It has been a real whirlwind, and though I am exhausted, it has been a lot of fun. My wife and mother-in-law have done a ton of work as well as the kids, and it has been appreciated by no one more than me. It has been a great weekend thus far.

But tomorrow is another day and an early one at that. I hope to be in bed early on Sunday, but I will worry about that then. I can only control now, so off to bed I go!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tom+

It is Homecoming at NHS, and though the dance was last week, the game and parade were today. Of course last week it was sunny and warm. Today was rainy and cold….the perfect day to ride on a float with 20 or so teenage girls with sticks. Needless to say, I was glad to get to the peace and quiet of my own car. They are a great bunch of kids, and it was fun, but I am tired and it is great to be home.

My mother-in-law arrived this afternoon and the Bishop will arrive at about 11:30. By then I will be in bed, but tomorrow will be a big day. We will tour three of our churches with him and then a fourth on Sunday. I am looking forward to it.

But for now I have to go back and hang with Ben. Steph is at the game, Amanda and her mom are at the store, Scott is at work, and Ben and I are home. At 48 however, he needs to be supervising me!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tom+

Okay I have an excuse about yesterday. After Ben and I went to Powderpuff to see Steph play, and then to dinner together, without his mom he was pretty clingy. We went up to my bed where I was hoping he would doze off while I did some work but when I woke up it was morning!! He and I both just gave out! I am just thankful we both did and he didn’t take the car keys and go out joyriding or something like it! He is pretty scary at times!

As for tonight, all is well. Amanda is home, Ben is elated, and to be honest, I am too. They have not been apart since she got home, and the good part is that I am able to get a bit done. I am happy for them both, and I have re-captured my status as a second-class citizen here at home! As I always say, “go with what you know!” She will have to deal with me someday alone….probably when he moves out…..I will probably close to 100 then!!

Home sweet home! I am glad it is back to normal. It is a blessing to be back to my old routine!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

It is just before midnight on my anniversary and it has been an eventful night. To celebrate we went to “College Night” at the high school (a college fair) and toured around looking at colleges and talking to reps with Scott. Stephanie is a senior but had too much homework. Plus she is pretty sure she is going to a certain school already. Scott, on the other hand, has a wide-open world. He was SO excited and it was great to see him look at his future with such optimism.

Amanda flies out to Delaware very early in the morning, so why am I up at midnight? Because she left her corporate credit card at work (Lilly in downtown Indianapolis) so we left a little after 10 and she picked it up. She slept and I drove. And on the way back, she slept and I drove. Ben slept too. Now we are in bed, and she is asleep, Ben is too (between us), and I am typing to you…..but at least she has her card!! We are up in just 4 hours to help her load the car up and leave.

Anyway, it has been an eventful anniversary. Taco Bell, College Night, a quick trip to Indy, and now the opportunity to watch them both sleep. Exciting? Perhaps not, but it is my life and if anything it gives me a lot to write about!! How will I ever top it next year??

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tom+