Aging

As the years have passed me by
One small question wonders why
As the years have come and gone
Time more quickly passes on
When a child a day could drag
Minutes hours all seemed to lag
Now I’m old they go so fast
Even years don’t seem to last

So we treasure moments still
Try to bend them to our will
Make them last as long as we
Hold them dear and squeeze until
Every bit of joy we find
Leaving nothing left behind
Give our thanks in fullest measure
For this life and loves we treasure

Yesterday we had the grandchildren overnight. 7 months and 2 years. It takes a lot of energy. However, there is a lot to be said for getting to playing with trains and swinging. Grand children give you the excuse to enjoy those simple childhood toys and activities all over again. Truely "anamnesis" moments.

Here in Louisiana it's hard to believe in global warming with record lows. It's 19 out there and the furnace is out. We are bundled up in the bedroom with our lone space header and hoping the furnace circulates enough warm air to keep the rest of the house livable until ACUTEMP comes to fix things. Meanwhile doing things to keep the house warm like baking bread and running the dishwasher.

Things are still going well on Helium.com and else where here at the Schmitthouse. My New Years resolution for Helium is to write at least one article and one poem a day. The poetry just seems to flow. When it's right it's right and comes out in less than a half hour. Today's entry is
Icicles

Clear glass spears of jagged teeth
Across the roof drip down beneath
To touch the ground with drips and drops
Until the cold comes make them stop

We break them off for swords and duels
When snow has let us out of school
And watch them break as crossed we crash
And run for cover with a dash

The smaller ones we suck and lick
But not too long lest cold tongues stick
then hold them high before the sun
and watch it set when day is done.

That is no where near what I put up on Helium.com where I strive to put up one article and one poem or song each day. I am by the way now a Steward at Helium.com. I have been selected to be the Steward of the Christianity Channel. It is my job to recruit and encourage writers on our channel. So if you are a writer or aspire to be, check it out. Helium.com.

This time of year is one of those Anamnesis times for many people. De Ja vu all over again. It is hard to believe it has been 5 years since my late wife Lily died on New Years Eve. In many ways it is both like yesterday and a whole forgotten life ago.

Meanwhile we have begun having contact with grandchildren. Aiden going on three and Gabriel going on 7 month have been here overnight twice in the last two weeks. It's a joy and a challenge.

Got away to Arkansas for a few days. We both rested up and started our New Years exercise resolve early with three days of swimming.

well, I guess this is mostly a lot about nothing much, but if Seinfeld could do it for years on TV with success it's worth a try in writing. Good Therapy for the writer at least.

If anyone is reading. let me know!
Geoff

It would be hard to say we were blessed with rain this past October. There was more than any other October in recorded history. Much of that rain came in thunderstorms.

One Sunday late in the month on day that was not raining, in the middle of my children's sermon, there came a pop in the balcony accompanied by lights going out. Not to mention the noises made by members of the choir. This followed by some smoke. The organ was "fried" and it wasn't even raining that day.

The present organ is a 1970s version Allen purchased used in the 90's from a Dentist. He helped install it using an amplifier purchased at JC Pennys. There have been attempts to raise funds for a replacement for the past ten years. About $4,500 had existed on paper. However, with tight budgets that money has been spent.

At the time of demise another used organ of similar model, perhaps a generation newer than the current was available for $9,000. A small modern digital would be about $20,000. Our first thought was that we might be stuck with just piano for some time to come.

It seemed a shame since we had been fortunate to find a PHD quality organist to play for us.

A brief investigation into our coverage gave us hope. It seemed to us that the church leaders of years gone by had insured the organ for replacement value? So we began to pray the company would see it our way.

Meanwhile, my secretary had the inspired idea to check with our neighbors to see if perhaps any of them had lost equipment to lightening strikes during the same period. Ureka! The Ear, Nose, and Throat Docs next door lost a computer and a copier the same week.

Who knew there were saved records of lightening strikes just about everywhere in the country. The adjuster was able to find corroborating evidence. They wrote it off as a total loss and granted funds to buy a replacement organ at today's equivalent value.

Allen Organ Company has given a loaner while the new one is being built for $69,000 plus.
The salesman will return to us a gift to cover the $1,500 deductible. God has blessed us with a brand new fantastic organ.

Blessed by lightening.

Things certainly are not always what they seem.

As in "Oh sure I'm a non axious presence, just look at me being non anxious, oh please, please believe I'm not anxious, no really, I really, really, am, look at me, don't worry be happy!"

NOT!

On a scale of 1 to 100 I may finally be approaching passing? Although, somehow, I think writing about it in front of the whole World Wide Web may be decreasing my score. Or come to think of it, keeping score is probably a sign I've still missed the boat altogether.

Anyway, I was thinking, before I started writing, that just maybe things are going a little smoother in my life, especially my professional life because I'm less anxious. Maybe it has to do with turning 60? I have less to prove.

On the other hand I'm as competitive as when I was a teen age Boy Scout earning merit badges. Now I'm earning them on Helium.com for writing. check it out. I've got stars and badges and more on the way!

I'm having lots of fun though. I've been writing songs and poems and Christian Apologetics.

Perhaps there is also some connection between letting go and inspiration.

What do you think?

I'm partly musing about this because two weeks ago I served as Spiritual Director for a Happening Weekend. Happening is the teen spin off of Cursillo: a renewal movement begun in 1938 by Roman Catholics in Spain. It spread to the states about 1955 and from Texas to the world, morphing into other denominations with names like Tres Dias, Walk to Emmaus, and Via De Cristo. 25 plus years ago it became KAIROS (God's special time) in prisons.

I have served on more than 30 Happenings but none since the mid 90s. The memories of the first weekends were stirred and I realized that the other adults on the team were not old enough to have been participants when I went to Happening # 8 in the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island in about 1981.

The program really works and part of the testimony to that fact is that it hasn't changed much in all that time. The music was a little more "hip - hop" and yet some songs were upbeat versions of 1970s Faith Alive songs. The presentations were somewhat less formal. The teens sat on the floor instead of in chairs at tables. However, it is the same Holy Spirit that moves heart, minds and lives while, as the Good Book says, Jesus is the same, "yesterday, today and forever." That's probably a loose translation.

Back into the store I went. "This isn't going to work," I said. "They are not the same size on both ends." The clerk looked them over and explained that it wasn't a difference in size but a difference in the direction of the threads. "That's what make the turnbuckle work."

We went together back to the isle where they were. "Thought I had some with eyes on both ends." he said.

He did; in a larger size. I bought two. and two or three carbines to help with connecting.

Back at the slip I managed to pile what seemed like ten pounds of hardware on the end of the bow stay. It was a little loose. I figured with Brenda's help the next day it would be just fine.

Today we noticed the wind was picking up near our condo. At least a few leaves were fluttering. We decided that since it was our last day we might as well go down prepared to sail. We had to take the boat out either way,with or without a sail.

There was just enough wind blowing to make it worthwhile. Brenda pushed on the mast while I readjusted the hardware. With some minor rigging tasks done we cast off. Thank God for the little electric trolling motor. It pushed us gently out of the harbor and out into the lake.

There actually was some wind; maybe 5 mph at times gusting to 10 or 12. We tacked across the lake and back twice until we had gone a couple of miles towards a large island. There with the wind down to next to nothing we threw out the anchor and went for a swim.

Perhaps our biggest adventure was getting back into the boat. You may recall the ladder from and earlier posting to this blog. Brenda was able to use it better than I, although she is bruised on both legs from the climbing. I used it to "get a leg up" and then rolled in over the side.

There was a bit of a heave ho to get the anchor unstuck from old trees on the lake bottom. However we did get loose and headed back to the marina powered by the trolling motor. The wind had almost completely died, although it picked up to assist on the journey back.

We made it just in time to pay for the slip before they closed at 5.

Then it was time to get the boat back on the trailer, take down the mast and get the boat ready for the trip home.

All went well at first. I got the rudder off. Stowed the motor. Then we proceeded to work on the mast. Brenda climbed up on the fore deck to hold on while I took the job of undoing the side stays. All was going smoothly until we lowered the mast.

There is so much to remember. The devil is indeed in the details when it comes to sailing.
I carefully climbed aboard. Brenda was still standing at the mast. She pushed. I caught it the best I could. Then it quickly crashed down to the ground. It seemed so much easier the first couple of times.

Then I noticed the problem. I had forgotten to release the cotter pin that holds the two portions off the mast together and keeps the hinge closed. Instead to the cotter pin shearing with the strain, the latch it went through tore right off and pulled through the piece of metal on the other side of the hinge. I have hopes that the fellow who fixed it for me in the first place will be able to repair it.

Between that and the real need to order the correct stainless steel hardware....oh and I forgot to mention. Every time we raise the sail a little more of it pulls loose from it's guiding rope. It may be next spring before we sail again.

So yesterday was the big day. Oh, Oh, it's very cloudy, Don't tell me it's going to rain! We got to the Marina to find that they hadn't understood I was bringing a sailboat and had booked me into a slip with a roof! No problem, found one out in the open that was vacated for the week. Then it did begin to rain lightly. While we were deciding whether or not to launch the weather changed enough to stop the rain and bring up a little wind.

So we began our second time of setting up the mast. It went oh so much smoother than the first time and my Home Depot Hardware seemed to work. (note the word "seemed") It took a little while but we got it up.

Now to put her in the water. The launching ramp was nice and gentle, the boat went in fine and began to float. However, I had not loosened the winch that holds it to the trailer and there was too much tension for me to release it. So.. I had to pull the boat back up out of the water to do that. However, second try and off it came.

Thank God the sides of the boat are relatively low and the water not deep and the draft such as without the keel it can be in very shallow water. Hence, it was relatively easy for first Brenda and then me to get aboard.

The new electric motor functioned perfectly and we trolled over to the slip. There were two things to accomplish at the slip. Number one is to be sure the keep works properly. Brenda wanted to get in the water anyway and was happy to dive down and check. Great, it works! The second was related to the first. It was to see that the ladder I bought would work so Brenda could get back into the boat. Not! After 4 changes of the configuration of the ladders braces she was able to just get back in the boat. That is definitely not the solution.

Now it's time to go sailing! No wind in the bay but out on the lake it looks like a good 10 mph breeze. The trolling motor is purring perfectly and we are more than ready for this adventure.

Once out of the bay it's time to hoist the sails; first the jib and then the main. The jib goes up fine. However, when we go to hoist the main it stops just short of the top of the mast. Looking up I can see that the halyard wire has twisted once around the top. It has to come down. Thankfully the wind is not too strong and the shore is plenty far away and we can drift without danger while I whip the rope around the mast until it is untangled. Then we go to hoist once more only to discover that we have somehow twisted the sail and need to bring it back down yet again to turn it around and around until it is right.

Finally all is in place and off we go! The wind was brisk. Brenda was smiling and me too. We took a long tack across the lake and came about with no trouble and tacked back again making sure that barring no big change in wind direction that when the time comes we can sail down wind back to the marina.

We come about easily and all smiles and joy begin to cross the lake once more when I happen to notice the hardware holding the bow stay. You know, the ones that were missing; the ones I replaced from Home Depot. Two portions of this hardware are open hooks and not closed rings. I can see to my dismay that one of these hooks had been pried more open by the tension of the bow stay. I can see that at any moment it is possible that the tension will pull it so much that the whole mast will come tumbling, crashing back on top of us.

Taking immediate action I let out some sail and turn the boat back towards the marina. I explain the problem to Brenda and tell her the first thing we must do is drop the jib sail to let off more tension upon the bow stay. God bless her she is having so much fun. She wants to know if we can fix the problem out here on the water so as to be able to keep sailing. I explain it will be hard enough back at the slip.

We head more towards the marina which is down wind and the boom swings gently across from port to starboard and I let out the line. It is difficult to explain to another person what you want them to do when you do not yet both share the same language. Moreover, being the less than sensing fellow when it comes to mechanical things the confusion is getting to me just a bit; along with the vision of the mast collapsing at any moment. I become aware of what sounds like the electric trolling motor running and get distracted by it into the bargain. Why is that running and how can I turn it off? Genius that I am I disconnect it from the battery. How can this be? It can't still be running? Of course it's just the sound of it's propeller being turned by the water as we move.

All this took place in less time than it took me to write it down for you to read. I am about to turn back to see how Brenda is progressing when she calls out "Watch out for....." and it hits me. I mean the boom literally hits me on the side of the head. My momentary lack of attention to wind direction has caused me to jibe the boat (turn the stern across the wind enough for it to grab the mainsail and swing it to the otherside - through my head!

Brenda was sure I'd be out cold. I was too dazed and focused on getting us to port before the mast fell that I didn't really feel much at first.

She got the jib down. I lowered the mainsail and we trolled back to the slip with no further trouble. I have a huge goose egg above my left temple and it has been long enough now that I doubt I have a concussion. I'll be trying to find the local hardware store later today. If I can find some stronger hardware there may be more sailing this week. If it doesn't rain!

Yes this is about my boat. Actually, it's about the trailer. Today on the 5th try I finally got it registered.

On the first attempt I only had the bill of sale. On the second attempt I had the registration, but forgot the bill of sale. On the third attempt the clerk left me sitting alone for over 10 minutes while she and the supervisor called the Marina in Texas for clarification. When she returned she informed me that the bill of sale was good and needed. The title was good and needed. However, since there was no proof that the marina had the authority to sell it to me I was going to have to get them to produce a paper trail from the old man for whom they sold the boat and trailer.

Meanwhile we are planning a trip to Arkansas on Labor Day and want to go sailing! I'm ready to drive the trailer illegally but I have already altered the temporary cardboard tag once!

Thanks be to God and Helen at the Marina I received a new bill of sale and copy of the Texas title for the trailer that excludes the previous owner all together.

Trip 4 to Purgatory turned into 5 because somehow I left part of the paper work in the car and had to go back out to the parking lot to find it.

Then, remember the hole in the water where the money goes? $40 for the license and then title and tax fees. I received only coins back from my $100 bill.

They did however let me leave with a license plate for the trailer so maybe we might consider that $100 an "indulgence" that bought me out of Purgatory!

If you remember the last post I had was going to exchange a defective battery for the boat motor. Bass Pro Shop was very understanding. I lugged that thing in from the parking lot. That was exercise enough for one day. I set it heavily down on the Customer Service counter with my receipt in hand, declaring it was defective and I wanted to trade. "No problem." The sweet young 20s girl said, "Just go get another one." So I did.

I brought it home and hooked it up to the charger to top it off as the salesman had suggested I do with the other one. Like the first it register about 6 or 7 amp. I figured not much to go. I was a little concerned when plugging in the charger I noticed that the ground part of the three way plug seemed charred. But what do I now, right!

The I proceeded to do the happy chore of sticking the boat's license numbers either side of the bow. Would you believe it begins 007.......

After about 45 minutes doing that and otherwise straightening up - like refolding the sales. I went to check on the battery. Oh no! like the first it was going down, not up. I quickly disconnected the charger. I hooked up the battery to the motor and yes it still works. Whew!

Well you gotta know I just grabbed that old defective charger and threw it in the trash.

I figured, here we go again one more bit of money down that hole in the water and I've only been "sailing" once.

Time passes and it's Sunday morning before church. I'm sitting in the parish hall with C.J. He is a faith retired fellow who is very handy around the church. "Say, C.J. did you ever know of a battery charger do go bad?" He hadn't. I told him my story of wow. This was his reply.

"The number is supposed to go down."

At first I didn't believe him. I thought he was pulling my leg. However, after much repeated explaination and several stories of other stupid men events I was convinced.

Thus, Sunday afternoon I came home to "dumpster dive" and go back to getting my battery fully charged!

I've been rolling that phrase around in my soul and brain for a week or so. I even started to compose at The String Shop yesterday. Then this morning it poured out. Here are the lyrics

It’s About Time
Geoffrey Schmitt © 2009

/: It’s about time. It’s about time. :\
‘bout time to seek the Savior ‘bout time to love your neighbor
‘bout time to find a friend ; be ready for the end.
‘bout time for a new beginning, for repentance and forgiving.
Let the love flow in and through you. Let the Lord begin to use you…
It’s about time.

When your battles self-defeat. Bad choices just repeat
For the negative and worse. Let go of the curse. It’s about time.

Chorus

When your current path is blocked; ev’ry way and door is locked;
Find yourself against a wall; and you’re ready for a fall. It’s about time.

Chorus

When your relatives and friends bring their contacts to an end
And you’re home alone again just the TV for a friend. It’s about time!

I went to buy an electric trolling motor and battery from Bass Pro Shop.

Now an outboard 4 hp motor did come with the boat. But I really just don't like gas motors. They are messy and a lot of trouble with oil and measuring etc. I much prefer just to throw a switch. As you recall on our first adventure we didn't take it along. Thank God for helpful power boaters.

So I'm walking into Bass Pro Shops. I'm not really much of a sportsman in this kind of way. I mean guys travel hundreds of miles just to visit this store! I live here and come for things like this out of the ordinary. I mean I'm not buying a trolling motor to help me catch bass.

It is a "trip" to come to this store and truly more like a museum. They even have a giant fish tank. On this particular trip it was interesting, not for the giant bass and catfish but for the guy in the scuba gear vacuuming the inside of the glass wall.

Now of course you can't just buy a trolling motor. You have to have a battery as well. The salesman was very helpful and not at all pushy. He assured me that the small $99 trolling motor was plenty of power and they had a battery just marked down from $85 to $54. While he got it from the back I remembered that Brenda wanted a boat ladder, in case we go swimming off the boat. She still isn't counting on much wind.

Altogether I got out for under $200. Like $99 is so much lower than $100.

I roll my purchases out to the car. You have to understand I drive a Mustang. The little lady drives the big pickup. When I get to the car I wisely decide to put the back seats down, making the trunk bigger. In goes the ladder and the battery. Last the box with the motor. Of, course, if I were more of a sensing type I'd have put the box in first. I try moving the other things around, but that's not going to do it. I have to start over. I lift the heavy battery and rest it on the bumper and reach over to shove the ladder more to one side when all of a sudden,.....OWWWWWWWWWW the battery falls to the ground via my knee, shin and toe! D.............

I laugh at myself and continue to start over.

The salesman had auggested I "top off" the battery with my slow charger.I actually have one. So when I get home I hook it up. The guage reads about 6 amps. Fine

Next morning, I notice the number got lower. Maybe I was wrong, maybe it is supposed to be 0. By the next day it has dropped even more until tonight it was 1. I finally decide it's not right. Did I break the battery when it fell? Is my slow charger not working? Yes, I had red to red and black to black! Tomorrow I'll take the battery back to Bass Pro and see I've I can get out under $50.

One hot Saturday in July we stopped in at 4 pm to get the boat! It took an hour or so to get it all together, pack it up, hitch it to the truck and head out. We got home around 10 pm. Then I spent the next month and 1/2 waiting for the marina to send me the paperwork I needed to register the boat and trailer.

Finally, it came. I filled out the Louisiana app. and with my copy making me good to go for 30 days we got ready to sail the following day.

I dragged Brenda out of the house around 9 am saying "pinch me, do I really own a sailboat?"

We got to the lake about 1/2 hour later and began to ready the boat for sailing while a gale wind of about 1 mph wafted the beach.

The first task was to set the mast. The dealer had very kindly given me a part he had kept around for 8 years. It is the bottom 3 feet of a mast with a hinge so that you don't have to hoist the whole tall mast up in the air to get the bottom in the hole where it fits in the boat. So I got Brenda up on the boat and guided the unhinged mast foot for her to place in the slot. So far so good.

Then I climbed aboard(The boat is still on the trailer at this point) and fasted the two side stays to Port and Starboard (left and right facing the bow - front). Then I grabbed the bow stay, only to find that the hardware to attach it too the boat was missing! It must have jiggled loose in transit. We spent the next 45 minutes with Brenda standing on top of the boat holding up the mast while I tried to Mc'Giver the stay into place. We eventually accomplished this with the end strap from an adjustable winch belt, an old screw and a little creativity.

We then spent about another 45 minutes trying to figure out how to install the boom, sails, and rudder. Eventually it was time to launch her off the trailer. Brenda went down the concrete ramp to guide me and slipped on the mossy bottom scraping her knee.

I held the boat against the dock while she got in saying, "Honey, is there supposed to be water in the boat?" There was a drain whole that I had over looked and it was missing it's stopper. Thank God, while I was rummaging through the "watertight" box with tools and paperwork, I had noticed a spare stopper. So 5 minutes and 2 inches of water later the leak was plugged.

Then Brenda said, "How do we get it sailing." I replied over the blowing 1/2 mph wind, we are moving already!" Off we tacked down towards the swimming beach about 3/4 miles away. By the time we reached the beach area I thought we had better begin to head back. We had not brought lunch. All we had were two cans of soda and it was HOT.

After tacking straight across the lake and back to the same buoy at the swimming beach three times Brenda said, "We don't seem to be getting anywhere." and suggested she might leave me to swim ashore. However, I looked so pathetically sad that she had mercy and stuck it out with me. After one more tack across the lake the wind swelled to about 3 mph and we actually moved in the right direction for about 200 yrds.

The tack line ran out before we reached our destination, the launching ramp, but I figured we could make it next tack if the wind held. Well the wind not only held it actually increased and as we came about (turning into the wind) I got us "stuck in irons", which means neither this way nor that. I frantically pulled and pushed on the tiller handle trying to get the bow to come across the wind. Then the cue de gra (sorry I can't spell French) occurred! The tiller was still in my hand but no longer attached to the rudder!

"I know what to do now." I said to Brenda, as I stood and began lowering the sail. At this point it became really obvious how wrong it was not to bring along the outboard motor that had come with the boat. "Don't worry," I said, "we have paddles." as we both looked forlornly at the shore 150 yards away.

Then we both had a great idea at the same time. There was a power boat between us and the shore. We waved and hailed them. They were very kind and towed us back to the dock.

Loading up the boat was almost uneventful accept that Brenda said, "Oh I don't feel so good." Being an RN she took her own pulse. It was about 150. We had to check mine too - 140. Another few minutes in the Louisiana summer heat and we'd have been TOAST.

It will have to be a definitely windy day with a reserve motor on board before I coax Brenda back out to the joys of sailing.