Baseball, pumpkins and a little Super Farmer

Jess and Tristan arrived into Philly on Wednesday via train. Tristan has been utterly obsessed with taking the train for the past two weeks talking incessantly about the ride, choo-choo sounds and going to Jersey. The wait is over and the train ride was entertaining to say the least. So day two in Jersey and he's covered a lot of ground so far. 

I can now say with confidence Tristan is a true Philly fan loving the sounds of fireworks, cheering of people outside their homes and Philly pride everywhere. Wednesday night he was chanting, 'go Phillies! You rock!' What can be better than a week where the Phillies lay claim to the World Series, afternoons filled with pumpkin picking and apple cider donuts and getting ready to be the ultimate 'Super Farmer' for Halloween? That's a tough one to beat. 

This afternoon we romped around the pumpkin patch up the road from school and Tristan inspected about 48 pumpkins before making his final decision. It was a long process. Tomorrow we hit the halls of Seneca for trick-or-treating before the big Seneca vs. Shawnee football game. I'm soaking in each minute with my little dude!  

The leaves, they are a changing

I was out taking a walk today and was struck by the sheer beauty of my surroundings. This past week has been a tad on the crazy side and have yet to have taken the opportunity to take in what I pass by each day to work, running errands and doing my daily life thing. Have you noticed how totally gorgeous it is? The leaves now hang heavy from the trees with brilliant orange, red and yellows. It's all like one large canvas with just the perfect shades and tones of color and crispness in the air that makes it seem profoundly perfect. While living down south one of the things I missed the most was the distinction in seasons that are so apparent here, but sort of begin to blend together south of Virginia.

Another perk is that the ocean temps are still up & you no longer have to contend with tourists or those beach tag people I still dodge to this day. I had a 2 day workshop near Belmar this week & had the opportunity to soak in some afternoon surf. As I paddled out a flock of seagulls swooned above so close I could have touched them had I lifted my arms up. The spray of the ocean and cool of the air made my week. The forecast is calling for the conditions to pick up on Monday, so after work I'll be Atlantic bound. On the agenda: surf until I can just barely seemy hand in front of my face. Awesome. 

Jer-sea Girl...

In the midst of a shaky real estate market and financial insecurity many are feeling the crunch and a spike in their blood pressure. I've opted to not open my 401-K statements and grab my guitar instead of the remote. So although heads are spinning, mine is doing pretty well (I'm sure a few out there would beg to differ : ) I've found solace in the fact that I can't control what's going on. It is what it is.  The past few weeks I've watched a minute amount of tv and surprisingly the noise, the static that hasn't entered my cerebral cortex has left more room for other things. It's so easy to get distracted, filled with things that don't really matter. 

I have to tell you as I sat on my board the other day in the midst of fairly pathetic surf, if even you'd call it that, my heart and spirit were so very content with silence. Opting to fill time with things that matter results in substance, depth that is not fleeting. 

I've spent more time these few weeks in prayer, silence, reading God's Word and re-learning what it means to 'just be.' I'd be the first to admit I'm the poster child for Jersey. You might even see me on a billboard as you go along 95 - me & Tom Kean... perfect together.  All that is just how I'm wired, but as I've begun to learn that doesn't mean I have to stay that way. So the impatience, being tightly strung and tail gating with a passion can be life long attributes if I allow them to. Hmm... I'm getting all philosophical now aren't I? But think about that a tad... we can settle, point fingers for why we are the way we are or .... now that's the big challenge, or we can examine our hearts and intentions and attempt to view things from a whole different vantage point. Peace out. 

No seriously... don't quit your day job

So I can officially cross off 'painter' for possible career options in 2029. Wow, that took a load off my shoulders. Shannon, a fellow Young Life leader, just closed on her place in Medford Lakes. The past few days a group from church and an impressive number of our Young Life kids rolled up their sleeves and went to work. At one point it was pretty much like, how many kids does it take to paint a room? There were at least 15 - 20 kids at one point in every room in the house doing one of the many things needed to be done. So often you hear people focusing on how selfish teens can be. Well, I've got to tell you these kids the past few days have given so much of their time and energy and really blown that stereotype right out of the water. They were painting, spackling, doing trim and anything else that was on the to do list. You go guys!

Although the past week has been hectic and filled with 5 straight nights of pizza for dinner, it has been a true 'natural high' being in the presence of so many awesome people. I have come full circle with the realization that I will never run a successful painting company or drive a truck filled with the latest painting gadgets. A reality that I think I'm ok with. I'll just have to talk myself through it. Just give me a little time.

A little surf, chowder and a whole lotta Harvest

Its been about two weeks since I've hit the Atlantic and my body was beginning to feel it. It's like that puffer fish you see on the shore line just short of the break lying, waiting, watching the surf that it so desperately needs to survive. Ok, so maybe not that extreme but pretty close. Both Saturday and Sunday the surf was more like ripples one might find in a toilet, but it was me submerged in the Atlantic & I was ok with that. I spent the weekend with a bunch of my Young Life kids and even though the surf was minute, it was well worth it. 

Sunday = Chowder Fest. What a crazy experience. Beach Haven unites tourists and those hand full of locals who feel motivated to combat the chaos all congregate into a few blocks of chowder madness. Shuffling along in my flip flops, toting a cup of lobster bisque with the sun beating down with the light sea salt smell in the air... man, I'm loving it. Being that I hadn't had more than 6 hours sleep in the past few nights it was quite a rich moment that didn't require a 20 oz cup of coffee from Wawa. 

Mid-afternoon I headed back Medford and had about 57 minutes to get ready for the big yellow bus to arrive en track to Harvest Crusade at the Wachovia Center. Deep breathing. Thirty one of us (a few leaders and the rest students from Shawnee, Seneca & Kings Christian) headed over the Ben. The evening was about challenging those present to re-evaluate the life they are living and what happens after we take our last breathe here on earth. Bottom line... it's about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Life is short, too short sometimes... how are you living and who are you trusting? Some thoughts we too often let slip us by - sometimes intentionally and other times not. 

It was a powerful evening & I was stoked to be in the presence of some really wonderful kids.  As we headed back over the Ben my need for coffee returned and so the story of the bean continues. One day = bean free. Maybe. 

38 hours of chilling south of the Mason Dixon

One of these days it would be awesome to know how many miles I've racked up by car, air and foot in the past 30 years. That would be an interesting find & I'd bet there would be some cheesy trophy involved. By the time I arrived in Virginia it left me with less than 48 hours of family bonding. But you take what you can get. 

We celebrated Tristan's Birthday a bit early, but what fun it is turning three. He was stoked with the balloons, John Deere Tractor cake & his 'super farmer' cape my mom purchased at 

the market. After having cake for breakfast (how great is that?) he had the rest of the day to run around in his John Deere cape and silver mask attempting to help out moving cattle to the next field in his rather impressive four wheel drive. That kid has the life.

Although tired and now playing catch up, the weekend was absolutely worth it. They always are. The recent rain has provided a nice surge of grass growth alleviating a bit of stress on my parents & no longer having to tap into their hay supply. In the past two years I've gained such a greater respect and appreciation for farming and the pertinence in supporting your local businesses & farm community. You can't go wrong with food right out of the ground or off the tree. Not flown in from 1,257 miles away subjected to who knows what. Local is good. Repeat after me in english, gaelic or hebrew. It doesn't matter to me. Buy local! 

So, good times were had. Heading into another week and loving the cool air. 

Are you shore?

There is nothing like a good, relaxing, re-charge of a weekend. I think I've had two of those back to back now which puts me in a good place. Saturday I paddled out into surf that one might say bore the resemblance to the little crevices found in a ruffles potato chip. At times there were short bursts of waist high sets, but that might even be a stretch. But all in all the sun was shining, the water temps were perfect and it was just one of the days that my mind and spirit felt replenished by being in the midst of the Atlantic. For those of you non-beach types the next few weeks are really the best time of the year to be shore bound (don't tell anyone I said that) where the weather is perfect and the people are pretty scarce. Hopefully I'll have another few go's before the infamous wetsuit makes its debut.  

I'm looking forward to another great week of life, work and just simply not having to drive the Turnpike or whip out the EZ Pass. And in the words of John Cleese, "always look on the bright side of life." 

** I found a short clip from my trek in Jordan with a local Beduoin. Being back in Jersey & looking at this now all I can do is laugh and think, I can't believe I was there. But what an experience.