Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Doggie Dip Day, Spring 2009





Moses and I got to go to Doggie Dip Day at the spring-fed pool in New Braunfels. I loved it! I got excited when Dad put on my collar that I swim in, and then I got super excited when we exited the freeway in NB. I started barking when we got to the Courthouse, and was focused on swimming and fetching tennis balls. For the next three hours, I swam, I fetched, I jumped in the water, I peed, and swam some more. I was so tired that I slept in the car on the ride home and even let Moses put his head on my hip.

Moses had a different experience than I. He swam and fetched the tennis ball for about 20 minutes, but he preferred the playground and the sand. He was excited to see his veterinarian, Dr. Long. I however, was too busy to really acknowledge her like I usually do. Moses also made friends with the park board workers and they awarded him with a fun toy! Anyway, enjoy the photos from the event and make sure to take time to go swimming this summer!

Your pal,

Lazarus

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Mutt Strutt - Guest Contributor






Hello, my name is Prissy and I am available for adoption at the San Marcos Animal Shelter. I just had the best day last Saturday. Myself and 2 other dogs were selected out of all the other dogs at the shelter to attend Mutt Strutt, a fundraiser for the Animal Shelter where I now live. I got to meet lots of great other dogs, and go on a nice walk. I just couldn't wait to meet everyone! I even got to lead the pack for the Mutt Strutt Parade. It was such a great time, and so nice to be out of the shelter for the morning. My friend, Julie, volunteered to hold my leash during the parade, and I minded my manners so well. I walked with my new friend, Lazarus, together with Julie. I even got to wear a special vest.

Well, if you know anyone who wants a loving companion, my name is Prissy, and I'm at the San Marcos Shelter. Love You!

-Prissy

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Remembering Bay


Today, my grandmother, Kathryn Beard, died. She was 96 and lived a fascinating life. Born in 1912 in Scotch Ridge, Ohio, she spent much of her early life in Toledo, Ohio before modern sewer and electric infrastructure came to the city. Her father, a John Deere tractor salesman, got a sales position in Portage, Ohio and the family moved about 35 miles south. At school in Portage, she met David Beard and thus began a lifetime together including 73 years of marriage, 3 children, and 5 grandchildren. She was the first in her family to attend college as she spent one year at Bowling Green State Teachers College (later Bowling Green State University) and raised her family in Columbus, Ohio and Adelphi, Maryland. In her lifetime she witnessed, the Great Depression, World War 2, and the Moon Landing, but the important event she discussed most was the Civil Rights March on Washington and how she, along on a business trip in Idaho, participated in an im-promtu singing of "We Shall Overcome." She was a dedicated sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and died only six weeks after her husband of 73 years.

She received the nickname, "Bay" from her joint ownership of a cabin on the Chesapeake Bay. She relished this name and favored it over her other nickname of "Mother Time" for running late. In a family that favored science over art, work over play, and logic over feelings, Bay was intuitive, spiritual, and dabbled in eastern thought and esoteric Christianity through her friends Shirley (True) Banning and Marilyn Shanks. Using perception, Bay would defend the downtrodden, respect the other, appreciate diversity, and try to make outsiders welcome. She had a knack of finding the silver lining in many clouds and once even said of Charles Manson, "He has a good vocabulary." She was on every sucker mailing list and her heart was at the center of her decisions.
What I remember most about Bay was her unselfishness and commitment to her family. She would always rather spend money taking my brother and I to the toy store than having the latest or greatest consumer item. She never had an answering machine, a microwave oven, or a DVD player. She reluctantly moved to Maryland since her husband got a job with the federal government, and later she dutifully moved into a nursing home to be with her husband who suffered a stroke. She had a wonderful fascination with geography and weather and she read my textbooks from my university courses. She did not know it, but she was a very spatial thinker and recognized beauty at various scales. She mentioned, "I can always find something in my own backyard." That something was often a flower, bird, or squirrel that she tended to.

I miss you and love you Bay, and I hope now that the mystery of Christ is now revealed to you in new and exciting ways.

Kevin

PS: The attached photo was taken in 2004 and pictured is Bay, Julie, Rachel, Rebecca, (great grandchildren), Sandra (my cousin's wife), and Gino (Tim's dog).

Monday, April 06, 2009

UMBC 2009 National Chess Champions!





















Most days go without me thinking about my undergraduate university much. I lived at home and did not have a "college experience" like many of my peers. I did get a very good education at the University of Maryland Baltimore County which is an honors University in Maryland. They usually have a good lacrosse team, but during my four years there, even lacrosse was down. However, this year is different. We made the final four in Chess held in Dallas and took home the championship! I would never have known unless my friend Ross had seen a perplexing article about the UT-Brownsville chess team (which was vanquished in the final four) in the San Antonio newspaper. Once we found out about the tournament, we kept abreast of events through electronic means. He called once the final checkmate was documented, and I went outside to celebrate. I gathered my UMBC alumni rock from the front yard, displayed it more prominently, and despite horrible allergies and the lack of a stencil or protractor, I painted a new sign commemorating the big victory for the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers! Here is a photo of the sign, the rock, and a yellow rose in the front of our property.

Kevin

Thursday, April 02, 2009

My new Hibiscus Tree



Kevin got me a new hibiscus tree for our back yard. I LOVE IT! It has tons of orange blooms and it just lovely. So far, we seem to be off the mental map of the neighborhood deer. It is located just outside the side door, which is heavily patrolled by Laz and Mos. One good thing about all this humidity in Texas is that we can have beautiful plants.

-Julie