A couple of years ago, we bought four Christmas stocking hooks that sit on the mantel. Each has a big brass letter on it, and they’re intended to spell NOEL. But we decided that’s too boring. We now have a new Christmas tradition: each year, a different member of the family spells something else. Last year we celebrated the first LEON. This year, Hannah spelled LONE.

My wife Katie is a former United Methodist minister. She served a parish for 2.5 years in the late 90s before deciding parish ministry was not for her. It’s a long story, but this post isn’t about her experience in ministry; it’s about mine.
Even now, almost ten years later, I’m still coming to grips with how totally unprepared I was to be the preacher’s wife. The biggest problem was that I had no idea that many parishoners hold the minister (and her family) to a different (higher?) standard from other people.

This is Samuel’s early Christmas gift. Her name is Penny, she’s half-chihuahua, half-terrorist, and about six weeks old.

I dreamt last night that I was explaining different types of taxation (flat tax, progressive taxation) to a group of ten-year-olds. I was able to explain it clearly, the kids understood, and they engaged in intelligent discussion about it. When I recounted my dream to Katie this morning, she replied that it was an odd coincidence: taxation is this week’s subject in the freshman studies course she’s teaching. Though, she added, sometimes it feels like she’s trying to teach this stuff to ten-year-olds.

The latest trend to sweep blogdom, it seems, is to tell how you got ‘into computers’. So, I thought I would add my story.

This morning, Alpha, our betta fish who has been with us for several years, went to that great aquarium in the sky. Katie gets the unenviable task of burying him at sea. You’ll be missed, Alpha…at least until we replace you.

Last week, I submitted this photo to KVUE news’ daily weather photo contest. Yesterday I was notified that my photo will be the photo of the day for November 1. So, if you live in Austin, watch KVUE news that evening, or check their web site afterwards to see my photo. I hope this isn’t my allotted 15 minutes of fame. I envisioned something greater.

Batman just doesn’t look so tough with his front teeth missing

Our first cool front of the fall blew through a couple of days ago. And for the first time in the almost three years we’ve lived in this house, it didn’t bring with it the smell of sewage. There’s a small wastewater treatment plant about two blocks north of us, and it really smells. Due to the stench, the city has been planning for several years to close it. When we moved in, we were told the project was 18 months from completion. The neighbors told us, however, that it had been 18 months from completion for a couple of years already. But the city finally did close the plant a couple of months ago. Big difference!