Herrick Recipes [Click Lower left for music too!]
February 23, 2004(PM)
From Guideposts:
One sunny afternoon my therapist handed me a box of colored pencils and a large tablet of paper. “I want you to draw some pictures of yourself,” she said. “First of all, draw an image of how you think others see you.”
I drew a montage of myself at a podium giving speeches, welcoming guests to a seminar, dispensing advice in an executive conference room.
The therapist looked over my shoulder and nodded. “Turn the page,” she said. “Now draw a picture of how you see yourself.” Using heavy strokes, I drew a broken statue. Then I drew a gaunt child with hollow eyes and stringy hair, her hands hanging limply at her sides, alone, frightened, unworthy. My hand was shaking when I put down the pencil.
“And now,” the therapist said slowly, “here’s your final assignment. Draw how God sees you.”
There wasn’t a moment to think or intellectualize. I snatched the pencil and my hand moved across the paper. I found myself sketching a young girl again—but this time my touch was light and quick. The girl’s face glowed with a smile. I colored her hair golden. She was radiant! Lovable. And loved. It was as if God were saying, “This is how I see you, Barbara. You don’t have to be perfect. I love you just as you are.”
If I was good enough for God, I realized, wasn’t I good enough for me?
My life was transformed that day in the clinic. From that point on, when self-doubt and despair emerged, I knew those feelings didn’t have to clutter and clog my life.
Note from Justin!
Hey uncle John, just wanted to say hi and e-mail these pictures to you.
I am in the blue coveralls on the ground ,we had just put a new motor in my
jet and it required a “burner run”. I am getting ready to go back home in
Italy next week, the days keep changing but it should be sometime next week.
Tell everyone I said hi!!.JPG)
Justin
Justin – mounting engines in jets! WOW!
Note from Tracey:
Hi Uncle John,
Blaine and I have quite a few big changes in our life coming up, so I will
write a letter tonight and send it with some pictures!
Tracey
February 23, 2004
Note from Dan:
Hi John,
News from Maine…cold, snowy and we hate this weather.
Everyone is doing fine here. Trevor is finishing up his two year degree in Law Enforcement, Graduation is May 15. He really wants to come down and check out Florida. He probably will in the fall (after one last summer working for me at Pirate’s Cove). Courtney is in the process of moving into her apartment in Ellsworth Maine. She will be picking up a puppy in Vermont on Saturday. Sue has been a great help in checking a litter of Boston Terriers in Sutton Vt. Sue will get the puppy and we are driving over to get it from her. The puppy already has a name (Cowboy) and is definitely going to a loving home. Courtney has a bunch of toys and doggie accessories ready for Cowboy. Candy had this week off from School. She could use another vacation from her vacation I’m sure.
I have a new reason to fly. I’ve joined the Angel Flight organization ( http://www.angelflightne.org ) and volunteer my plane and time to fly needy people to medical appointments to places, too far to drive too. I’ve already flown two flights, the first one was an 18 year old and her mother returning from western Massachusetts to Augusta Maine and the second one was a young mother and her five year son from Presque Isle to Portland Maine. I have another flight scheduled on Wednesday, again from Presque Isle to Portland and then this time returning the older couple back to Presque Isle. Presque Isle has a really nice airport but they just lost their commercial airline commuter connection to Portland. I’m sure I’ll be making a few more of these trips in the future. I really love flying and this give it a purpose (and a tax deduction too). So far, my passengers have been very grateful and this makes a (not inexpensive) hobby, very worthwhile.
Take care,
Dan
February 22,2004
I have been busy, we had our big presentation last Tuesday; we had done our homework but another firm had been doing a great job for the county so we do not think we have any chance, especially since we did not hear from them. Then Friday was FES directors meeting in the morning and I worked late Friday night. Saturday morning bright and early was Mathcounts.
One of the 60 middle school MathCounts contestants. The kids did really well.
Saturday afternoon Pam and I went to the Cirque du Soliel:
Quite a show! I could not help remembering the show in Havana. After the show we went to see the shops in Gulfport, then out to dinner at Sea Critters. Today Jim and I played chess all morning then Pam and I went to the art show on St. Pete Beach. Quite a show this year!
February 12, 2004
Happy Valentines!
People over 35 should be dead.
Here’s why .
According to today’s regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or even maybe the early 70’s probably shouldn’t have survived.
Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, …
and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.)
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
Horrors!
We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.
NO CELL PHONES!!!!! Unthinkable!
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.
We had friends!
We went outside and found them.
We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
They were accidents.
No one was to blame but us.
Remember accidents?
We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Some students weren’t as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.
Horrors!
Tests were not adjusted for any reason.
Our actions were our own.
Consequences were expected.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.
Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
And you’re one of them!
Congratulations!
February 1, 2004
I have created a slide show of my pictures of the Chihuly exhibit:
John and Darrell and marilyn’s weather:
Amy and Darren’s weather:
Dad and Betty’s weather:
Susan and Al’s weather:
David’ and jeans weather:
Donald and jeanne’s weather:
Daniel and candy’s weather:
Heather and michael’s weather:
Rod’ and jills weather:
| 2004 | Donald | |
| 2005 | David and Jean’s Housewarming party, Pocomoonshine Lake, Princeton, Maine | |
| 2006 | Darrell & Marilyn | |
| 2007 | Dan | |
| 2008 | Sue and Al | |
| 2009 | John | |
| 2010 | Donald |