With entrance letters arriving in the mail, this is the time of year when high school seniors quit biting their fingernails and commit.
So, how do you know which school is right for you?
Here are some of the questions we asked as we visited colleges when it came time for our daughters to choose their school:
How does this college help students establish themselves in the professional world?
What kind of internships do you offer? Do they pay money? Courtesy internships are okay, but the better internships are when the business sees the college student as a valuable asset and a potential future employee. Those pay money, usually minimum wage.
What international experience do you offer? How well do US students interface with international students on this campus? Experiencing other cultures allows the young person the opportunity to appreciate the foresight our founding fathers demonstrated and to recognize the vast cultural nuances that exist.
Which departments in your school get the most attention (usually translated biggest budget or most students)? Sometimes, however, the most overlooked program offers the most flexibility and personal fit because they are recruiting, for example some of the liberal arts programs at A&M.
What Master’s Degrees do you offer? Can I overlap my senior year with the first year of my Master’s?
Can you tell me the names of who to contact in the administration about financial aid or housing? Always get information, particularly names.
Your school has great resources on campus, for example television stations, newspapers, and stage productions, but do students have to be at the postgraduate level before they really get to participate? This is a huge issue when you get to big state schools like UT Austin, who dazzle incoming freshmen with their resources, but fail to mention that undergraduates rarely get responsibilities.
If you really want hands-on education and the biggest bang for your buck, it is hard to beat the junior colleges in our area.
Sending your child to junior college for two years slices the cost almost exactly in half, if your child lives at home. There are other advantages.
I understand that the junior college option is not for everyone.
However, I have noticed that some folks tend to overlook junior college in the planning and deciding process, at least until their kid goes off to college and then returns home because something didn’t work out. Coming home to figure it out, is just another reason to be thankful for all the good options we have in our area.
Whatever you decide about college, best wishes on your continued success. If you feel like passing along any helpful hints to next year’s class, I’d love to hear from you.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, was educated in Longhorn territory, but finds herself outnumbered now by Apaches and Eagles. Comments are welcome at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Golf: It's All About the Shoes
“It’s all about the shoes,” declared a friend when I asked about her love of golf.
Really? I thought it was all about the cart.
I shared this info with a guy and he responded, “Really? But golf shoes are so ugly!”
Well, you would think so, but there’s no explaining fashion, especially when it comes to shoes.
For example, who would ever have thought that Sketchers would catch on? Sketchers, in case you don’t check the sale ads in your local paper, are a tennis shoe popular with fashionista-types that would be perfectly at home in a bowling alley.
I actually have a pair of Coach tennis shoes that are similar to bowling shoes. I wear them all the time, not that I myself would ever pay for anything Coach brand.
They were a gift from my husband who had the impartial and knowledgeable help of our daughter while shopping.
The shoes are gold and that explains everything.
You see, I have noted over the years that grandmothers always have gold shoes. And usually a gold pocketbook to match. A pocketbook is what we used to call purses back in the day before they became hand bags. My grandmother would not have carried anything but a pocketbook.
I don’t have grandchildren yet; a circumstance that I take every opportunity to mention in front of my married daughter.
However, my philosophy is that it is never too early to go ahead and get gold shoes just in case you get surprised with grandchildren. It could happen.
Personally, I think any writer that can work golf, shoes, and grandparenting into the same column deserves a Pulitzer. Not that I’m hinting or anything.
Golf is on my mind because a very kind lady blessed me by taking me for a ride in her golf cart today.
She doesn’t actually play golf, she just owns the cart. Very sensible of her, if you ask me.
I had no desire to drive, I just went along for the ride. I find it so much more relaxing to let someone else take the responsibility of not crashing.
She and her mother, that would be the grandmother of her children (notice how I worked that grandmother thing in again), had recently painted her cart in green and tan camo. Really. It was very cool; in a golf cart fashion kind of way.
Okay, I think a camo golf cart is the height of snazzy golfing equipment.
Unless, of course, they make golf shoes in gold.
Now is your chance, golfers, let me know what you like about golf, golf shoes, or golf equipment and I’ll fashion your ideas into a column.
Better yet, invite me to ride around in a golf cart and I’ll show up at your next fundraiser. It will make a great excuse to buy a new pair of shoes!
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives in beautiful East Texas, golf paradise. Comments are welcome at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
Really? I thought it was all about the cart.
I shared this info with a guy and he responded, “Really? But golf shoes are so ugly!”
Well, you would think so, but there’s no explaining fashion, especially when it comes to shoes.
For example, who would ever have thought that Sketchers would catch on? Sketchers, in case you don’t check the sale ads in your local paper, are a tennis shoe popular with fashionista-types that would be perfectly at home in a bowling alley.
I actually have a pair of Coach tennis shoes that are similar to bowling shoes. I wear them all the time, not that I myself would ever pay for anything Coach brand.
They were a gift from my husband who had the impartial and knowledgeable help of our daughter while shopping.
The shoes are gold and that explains everything.
You see, I have noted over the years that grandmothers always have gold shoes. And usually a gold pocketbook to match. A pocketbook is what we used to call purses back in the day before they became hand bags. My grandmother would not have carried anything but a pocketbook.
I don’t have grandchildren yet; a circumstance that I take every opportunity to mention in front of my married daughter.
However, my philosophy is that it is never too early to go ahead and get gold shoes just in case you get surprised with grandchildren. It could happen.
Personally, I think any writer that can work golf, shoes, and grandparenting into the same column deserves a Pulitzer. Not that I’m hinting or anything.
Golf is on my mind because a very kind lady blessed me by taking me for a ride in her golf cart today.
She doesn’t actually play golf, she just owns the cart. Very sensible of her, if you ask me.
I had no desire to drive, I just went along for the ride. I find it so much more relaxing to let someone else take the responsibility of not crashing.
She and her mother, that would be the grandmother of her children (notice how I worked that grandmother thing in again), had recently painted her cart in green and tan camo. Really. It was very cool; in a golf cart fashion kind of way.
Okay, I think a camo golf cart is the height of snazzy golfing equipment.
Unless, of course, they make golf shoes in gold.
Now is your chance, golfers, let me know what you like about golf, golf shoes, or golf equipment and I’ll fashion your ideas into a column.
Better yet, invite me to ride around in a golf cart and I’ll show up at your next fundraiser. It will make a great excuse to buy a new pair of shoes!
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives in beautiful East Texas, golf paradise. Comments are welcome at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
List of Reasons We Love Lists
Checklists are fabulous things. We all know a Checklist Charlie, someone who just can’t navigate life without a list for every occasion.
Lists are often full of good ideas. In a matter of minutes, a reader can run down a list of ten ideas, discarding nine, but keeping the one idea that might answer a nagging question, meet a need, solve a problem, restructure a business, rejuvenate a relationship, change a life
Everyone loves a checklist, as long as it is not a to-do list; to-do lists can be a little overwhelming. All other lists qualify as lots of fun.
As we get older, we learn that a list can even replace essential functions like our memory, for example. That is, if you can find someone to remind you where you left your list.
With a list you can actually leave the grocery store with the thing you went shopping for in the first place.
A list can give you the ABC’s of any subject. This season, “A” stands for affordable, as in “39 Hot Tips for Affordable Trips” (Caribbean Travel & Life, May 2007), “B” stands for bars, as in “The Best Bars in America” (Esquire, June 2007), and “C” stands for cars, as in “The Best and Worst 2007 Cars (Consumer Reports, April 2007).
The Wall Street Journal offers a list of the day’s news on their front page under the heading “What’s News-”, but of course, we prefer our news local and in-depth.
For the outdoorsman, there is a list for every interest, including “150 Best Fishing Spots” (Field and Stream, June 2007) and “Top 50 New Products for Deer Hunting” (Deer & Deer Hunting, June 2007). Isn’t deer season still three months away?
For those who think outdoors means sunshine and sand, this month’s cover of Texas Monthly offers “The Best Beaches in Texas.” There are “100+ Swimsuits” in Seventeen (June 2007). Fortunately, Good Housekeeping offers “5 Ways to Reduce Stress and Fatigue” which you will probably need if you decide to go swimsuit shopping.
Then there is the list that they printed in Cosmopolitan, June 2007, “75 Sex Tricks” with the cutline, “Warning: They’re so Hot, This Magazine May Burst Into Flames.” Obviously, that is a list that is way too racy to print in a small town newspaper, for heaven’s sake.
There are tips for businesses, brides and even bum steers.
Yes, lists are good things. In fact, as much as we hate them, even to-do lists have their place, since there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of marking off the last item of a to-do list.
So, if you find that you are also a “Checklist Charlie,” you’ll want to check here again soon for the upcoming “Father’s Day List.”
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives in Flint, Texas with her family. She refuses to admit she is forgetful, but prefers to think of herself as list-prepared.
Lists are often full of good ideas. In a matter of minutes, a reader can run down a list of ten ideas, discarding nine, but keeping the one idea that might answer a nagging question, meet a need, solve a problem, restructure a business, rejuvenate a relationship, change a life
Everyone loves a checklist, as long as it is not a to-do list; to-do lists can be a little overwhelming. All other lists qualify as lots of fun.
As we get older, we learn that a list can even replace essential functions like our memory, for example. That is, if you can find someone to remind you where you left your list.
With a list you can actually leave the grocery store with the thing you went shopping for in the first place.
A list can give you the ABC’s of any subject. This season, “A” stands for affordable, as in “39 Hot Tips for Affordable Trips” (Caribbean Travel & Life, May 2007), “B” stands for bars, as in “The Best Bars in America” (Esquire, June 2007), and “C” stands for cars, as in “The Best and Worst 2007 Cars (Consumer Reports, April 2007).
The Wall Street Journal offers a list of the day’s news on their front page under the heading “What’s News-”, but of course, we prefer our news local and in-depth.
For the outdoorsman, there is a list for every interest, including “150 Best Fishing Spots” (Field and Stream, June 2007) and “Top 50 New Products for Deer Hunting” (Deer & Deer Hunting, June 2007). Isn’t deer season still three months away?
For those who think outdoors means sunshine and sand, this month’s cover of Texas Monthly offers “The Best Beaches in Texas.” There are “100+ Swimsuits” in Seventeen (June 2007). Fortunately, Good Housekeeping offers “5 Ways to Reduce Stress and Fatigue” which you will probably need if you decide to go swimsuit shopping.
Then there is the list that they printed in Cosmopolitan, June 2007, “75 Sex Tricks” with the cutline, “Warning: They’re so Hot, This Magazine May Burst Into Flames.” Obviously, that is a list that is way too racy to print in a small town newspaper, for heaven’s sake.
There are tips for businesses, brides and even bum steers.
Yes, lists are good things. In fact, as much as we hate them, even to-do lists have their place, since there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of marking off the last item of a to-do list.
So, if you find that you are also a “Checklist Charlie,” you’ll want to check here again soon for the upcoming “Father’s Day List.”
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives in Flint, Texas with her family. She refuses to admit she is forgetful, but prefers to think of herself as list-prepared.
Big Dreams: New Writer at the Banner
If I could tell young moms one thing it would be that when you finish raising your kids, you get to do something else. And that something can be something Big, with a capital B.
No one told me that there is an afterlife for stay-at-home moms.
When I began the project of raising my own children twenty-one years ago, it looked like such a long-term commitment that I never for a minute even considered what I would do once they no longer needed me.
‘Mom, you need to follow your dreams. Dream big,” my middle daughter recently told me. One of the beautiful things about raising kiddoes is at some point they start to fire your own advice back at you.
Okay, so here’s my big dream. I want to be a syndicated columnist.
I have always been a patriot about the fourth estate. You know, the balance to the three branches of our democratic government, that is, the free press.
I’m big on local papers reporting local news. I like knowing who the folks are, who the local heroes are, the civic leaders, the volunteers that really get the job done, the local kid who makes good. I also like knowing my representatives and telling them what I think when they’re home between sessions. I vote every election even when the race is uncontested. While I don’t particularly like either political party, I am thankful for both of them and for the third party candidates who hold them accountable.
So what if the syndicates never pick me up? I’ll settle for seeing my words in print in a small, local newspaper.
With that in mind, I dropped in to meet Lori Mellinger, editor of my favorite small town rag. Can you believe she gave me a shot at my dream?
I figure with Lori’s experience and editing, I might have a shot at the big leagues. Well, anyway, even if I miss, it is tremendous fun taking a small shot at the big target.
I come from a long line of really smart, well-educated people, who are not afraid to follow their dreams. Since I managed to go to kindergarten twice; I suspect I was a disappointment from the start.
My mother, who is truly a visionary, repeated her mantra throughout my childhood: “You are a genius, Cathy.” This is the one and only thing I’ve ever known my mother to lie about. Of course, since I was her first born child that could explain why mom was confused about the genius thing.
I grew up in Tyler, graduated from Robert E. Lee in 1977.
I went off to the University of Texas where I managed to flunk French, but graduate with a Bachelors in Journalism anyway.
Consequently, my other Big Dream is to be bilingual.
Three years ago, that daughter who encouraged me to write, talked me into taking Spanish with her.
My Spanish is functional rather than fluent, unless you are bilingual, in which case I have to admit I’m barely functional.
About 10 year’s ago, my husband and I moved to Flint from Tyler after a short detour to Louisiana.
There are those who will think that when we get really smart we’ll make it all the way to Bullard. They may be right, but for now we couldn’t be happier surrounded by the loving neighbors and friends on our street.
I will be fifty soon. I have two grown daughters who turned out all right in spite of their parents and a son who is an inspiration to his mom, the would-be writer. William, our ten-year-old and youngest, is the editor of his own little neighborhood newspaper and, I have to say, he makes it look easy.
So that’s the scoop on the new writer at the Banner and her big dreams. Now all I have to do is write a good enough article to get past Lori. Wish me luck!
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, writes a weekly column for small town newspapers around East Texas. Those interested in reading her column in their paper can contact her at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
No one told me that there is an afterlife for stay-at-home moms.
When I began the project of raising my own children twenty-one years ago, it looked like such a long-term commitment that I never for a minute even considered what I would do once they no longer needed me.
‘Mom, you need to follow your dreams. Dream big,” my middle daughter recently told me. One of the beautiful things about raising kiddoes is at some point they start to fire your own advice back at you.
Okay, so here’s my big dream. I want to be a syndicated columnist.
I have always been a patriot about the fourth estate. You know, the balance to the three branches of our democratic government, that is, the free press.
I’m big on local papers reporting local news. I like knowing who the folks are, who the local heroes are, the civic leaders, the volunteers that really get the job done, the local kid who makes good. I also like knowing my representatives and telling them what I think when they’re home between sessions. I vote every election even when the race is uncontested. While I don’t particularly like either political party, I am thankful for both of them and for the third party candidates who hold them accountable.
So what if the syndicates never pick me up? I’ll settle for seeing my words in print in a small, local newspaper.
With that in mind, I dropped in to meet Lori Mellinger, editor of my favorite small town rag. Can you believe she gave me a shot at my dream?
I figure with Lori’s experience and editing, I might have a shot at the big leagues. Well, anyway, even if I miss, it is tremendous fun taking a small shot at the big target.
I come from a long line of really smart, well-educated people, who are not afraid to follow their dreams. Since I managed to go to kindergarten twice; I suspect I was a disappointment from the start.
My mother, who is truly a visionary, repeated her mantra throughout my childhood: “You are a genius, Cathy.” This is the one and only thing I’ve ever known my mother to lie about. Of course, since I was her first born child that could explain why mom was confused about the genius thing.
I grew up in Tyler, graduated from Robert E. Lee in 1977.
I went off to the University of Texas where I managed to flunk French, but graduate with a Bachelors in Journalism anyway.
Consequently, my other Big Dream is to be bilingual.
Three years ago, that daughter who encouraged me to write, talked me into taking Spanish with her.
My Spanish is functional rather than fluent, unless you are bilingual, in which case I have to admit I’m barely functional.
About 10 year’s ago, my husband and I moved to Flint from Tyler after a short detour to Louisiana.
There are those who will think that when we get really smart we’ll make it all the way to Bullard. They may be right, but for now we couldn’t be happier surrounded by the loving neighbors and friends on our street.
I will be fifty soon. I have two grown daughters who turned out all right in spite of their parents and a son who is an inspiration to his mom, the would-be writer. William, our ten-year-old and youngest, is the editor of his own little neighborhood newspaper and, I have to say, he makes it look easy.
So that’s the scoop on the new writer at the Banner and her big dreams. Now all I have to do is write a good enough article to get past Lori. Wish me luck!
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, writes a weekly column for small town newspapers around East Texas. Those interested in reading her column in their paper can contact her at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
Going International? Go Lightly
Who can stand the airport these days?
Wouldn’t it be great if teleporting were not just the stuff of science fiction? What a dream to travel internationally, or even in the US, without the hassle of baggage checks and baggage handlers!
My personal philosophy is “if it doesn’t fit in my back pack, it doesn‘t make the trip!”
What can I say? I’m sorry, I have trust issues. The idea of strangers rifling through my luggage behind the scenes makes me shudder. I refuse to check baggage.
When I was growing up, my parents had their own hard and fast rule for travel, “You bring it, you carry it!”
All of which adds up to make me a very light packer.
There are plenty of things you can do to lighten your suitcase. Here are some ideas for how to pack for a two week vacation in a small rolling suitcase that fits under the seat, plus a back pack:
-Only go to the beach. Just kidding.
-Always pack your swim suit in your purse. Seriously. Why would you take a chance with the item that is the most difficult thing in the world to fit? It represents hours spent in the dressing room, why would you trust it to behind the scenes Baggage Riflers? Not that they would actually want to steal a middle-aged woman’s swim suit, I’m not paranoid, well, but you never know.
-Put your purse in your back pack, along with a small book, a small camera, and your zip lock bag of liquids.
-Wear a versatile, comfortable jacket and your walking shoes on the plane. Wearing them will free up room in your suitcase, plus the temperature on the plane will always be predictably unpredictable.
-Speaking of shoes, tennis shoes and baseball caps may mark you as an American. Take a hat, but choose one for travel that can be shoved in a pocket and come out retaining its shape.
-Bring cheap, neutral clothes that you can leave behind when you return home.
-Leave your good jewelry at home and invest $5 dollars or less in something fun, colorful, sparkly, and obviously fake. Take sparkly flip flops to match for the beach or a short walk to dinner.
- Get a haircut and leave the curlers at home, along with all the other appliances Americans think they need. Take a vacation from hours in the bathroom and experience natural glamour.
-Pack a fold up duffle bag in the bottom of your suitcase. Fill it with your souvenirs for the return trip home. I say put your swim suits with the souvenirs. Then, it is okay to check your rolling suitcase full of your dirty, cheap clothes.
If you have more practical ideas about international travel or light packing to share, you know where to reach me.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, may travel the world, but always comes home to beautiful East Texas. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
Wouldn’t it be great if teleporting were not just the stuff of science fiction? What a dream to travel internationally, or even in the US, without the hassle of baggage checks and baggage handlers!
My personal philosophy is “if it doesn’t fit in my back pack, it doesn‘t make the trip!”
What can I say? I’m sorry, I have trust issues. The idea of strangers rifling through my luggage behind the scenes makes me shudder. I refuse to check baggage.
When I was growing up, my parents had their own hard and fast rule for travel, “You bring it, you carry it!”
All of which adds up to make me a very light packer.
There are plenty of things you can do to lighten your suitcase. Here are some ideas for how to pack for a two week vacation in a small rolling suitcase that fits under the seat, plus a back pack:
-Only go to the beach. Just kidding.
-Always pack your swim suit in your purse. Seriously. Why would you take a chance with the item that is the most difficult thing in the world to fit? It represents hours spent in the dressing room, why would you trust it to behind the scenes Baggage Riflers? Not that they would actually want to steal a middle-aged woman’s swim suit, I’m not paranoid, well, but you never know.
-Put your purse in your back pack, along with a small book, a small camera, and your zip lock bag of liquids.
-Wear a versatile, comfortable jacket and your walking shoes on the plane. Wearing them will free up room in your suitcase, plus the temperature on the plane will always be predictably unpredictable.
-Speaking of shoes, tennis shoes and baseball caps may mark you as an American. Take a hat, but choose one for travel that can be shoved in a pocket and come out retaining its shape.
-Bring cheap, neutral clothes that you can leave behind when you return home.
-Leave your good jewelry at home and invest $5 dollars or less in something fun, colorful, sparkly, and obviously fake. Take sparkly flip flops to match for the beach or a short walk to dinner.
- Get a haircut and leave the curlers at home, along with all the other appliances Americans think they need. Take a vacation from hours in the bathroom and experience natural glamour.
-Pack a fold up duffle bag in the bottom of your suitcase. Fill it with your souvenirs for the return trip home. I say put your swim suits with the souvenirs. Then, it is okay to check your rolling suitcase full of your dirty, cheap clothes.
If you have more practical ideas about international travel or light packing to share, you know where to reach me.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, may travel the world, but always comes home to beautiful East Texas. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
The Gift of Mercy
Every woman knows that the best presents come in a tiny box.
Mercy is that way. It is the small daily mercies that fill our hearts with wonder.
“He still loves me even though my bank account is overdrawn again. She puts up with my football addiction year after year.”
“I have a friend who is always there for me, even when I’m sick of myself.”
We’re amazed that anyone finds us worthy of such patience.
I was reminded how easy it is to short-circuit the process of mercy recently when I called to schedule a car repair.
“Cathy, I’m so glad to hear from you. We were worried when you didn’t show up for your last appointment,” said the person on the other end of the line. His voice was full of compassion and forgiveness. I knew he was prepared to make me feel better about my mistake.
What mistake?
How could I forget an appointment I had no memory of? Ironic, isn’t it?
“Oh no, I didn’t have an appointment,” I responded in bewilderment.
“It’s okay, we had a really full day anyway.”
“Oh no, I would have called to cancel. I would have written it in my calendar. Are you sure that it wasn’t a miscommunication between you and the service department?”
If all else fails, shift the blame, right?
A week went by while we waited for the new part to arrive.
Then, one day, out of the blue, a fresh breeze blew gently through the space that used to hold my brain. In a flash a memory resurfaced, a vague recollection about a date with no calendar handy at that moment. Oops.
“I’m calling to apologize for not one, but two things. First, I’m sorry I stood you guys up. Second, I’m sorry I argued with you about it.”
And the process was restored.
He got to say all the comforting, gracious things he intended to say in the first place a week earlier. I got to receive a small gift of mercy.
Not a bad day’s work when you think about it.
Oh, and when I took my car in later that week, it happened to be on a day when Joel was cooking breakfast, so they fed me, too. Okay, if you take your car to Lade Ford in Frankston, you probably recognize James Lade.
Not only did James give me the gift of a little mercy, he also waited patiently while I sorted out my memory issues. That gave me a chance to think through the process of how we offer mercy and how we receive it.
Plus, I got a topic out of the experience, just in time for a Christmas column.
That’s really three or four gifts, kind of like the boxes that are individually wrapped and then stacked and tied together with a big, bright bow.
Mercy. A beautiful gift, wrapped in small daily experiences, and appropriate for any occasion.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, is busy wrapping the last of her Christmas purchases as she anticipates the real gifts of the season.
Mercy is that way. It is the small daily mercies that fill our hearts with wonder.
“He still loves me even though my bank account is overdrawn again. She puts up with my football addiction year after year.”
“I have a friend who is always there for me, even when I’m sick of myself.”
We’re amazed that anyone finds us worthy of such patience.
I was reminded how easy it is to short-circuit the process of mercy recently when I called to schedule a car repair.
“Cathy, I’m so glad to hear from you. We were worried when you didn’t show up for your last appointment,” said the person on the other end of the line. His voice was full of compassion and forgiveness. I knew he was prepared to make me feel better about my mistake.
What mistake?
How could I forget an appointment I had no memory of? Ironic, isn’t it?
“Oh no, I didn’t have an appointment,” I responded in bewilderment.
“It’s okay, we had a really full day anyway.”
“Oh no, I would have called to cancel. I would have written it in my calendar. Are you sure that it wasn’t a miscommunication between you and the service department?”
If all else fails, shift the blame, right?
A week went by while we waited for the new part to arrive.
Then, one day, out of the blue, a fresh breeze blew gently through the space that used to hold my brain. In a flash a memory resurfaced, a vague recollection about a date with no calendar handy at that moment. Oops.
“I’m calling to apologize for not one, but two things. First, I’m sorry I stood you guys up. Second, I’m sorry I argued with you about it.”
And the process was restored.
He got to say all the comforting, gracious things he intended to say in the first place a week earlier. I got to receive a small gift of mercy.
Not a bad day’s work when you think about it.
Oh, and when I took my car in later that week, it happened to be on a day when Joel was cooking breakfast, so they fed me, too. Okay, if you take your car to Lade Ford in Frankston, you probably recognize James Lade.
Not only did James give me the gift of a little mercy, he also waited patiently while I sorted out my memory issues. That gave me a chance to think through the process of how we offer mercy and how we receive it.
Plus, I got a topic out of the experience, just in time for a Christmas column.
That’s really three or four gifts, kind of like the boxes that are individually wrapped and then stacked and tied together with a big, bright bow.
Mercy. A beautiful gift, wrapped in small daily experiences, and appropriate for any occasion.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, is busy wrapping the last of her Christmas purchases as she anticipates the real gifts of the season.
The Gift of Joy
I received an early Christmas present last week. It was one I really wanted. In fact, I wanted it so much that I went out and got it. But it wasn’t something I could buy for myself.
Okay, I confess, I have been known to wrap up presents and put them under the tree with my name on them. However, this particular gift isn’t offered in stores.
Each year at this time, Smith County Medical Alliance teams up with Discovery Science Place to host a party around a Sensory Tree.
What exactly is a Sensory Tree? Good question. It is a Christmas tree decorated with all the senses in mind.
Besides the usual twinkly lights and shining, colorful ornaments, there are also cinnamon sticks and doilies filled with potpourri for those who can smell, but cannot hear.
There are jingle bells and battery-powered, musical ornaments for those who can hear, but cannot see.
There are soft, fuzzy teddy bears and bristly pine cones to touch. A train toots as it circles the tree.
Musicians fill every room with holiday music.
The children fill the rooms with laughter.
Children lay on the floor to feel the vibrations of the fiddles or danced with their hands waving in the air.
Teachers and children sign their excitement, fingers fluttering.
Did you know the sign for the “shh” is just the one you would expect? Their teachers were use it a lot because it seems that hearing-impaired children are just as noisy as other children when they are having fun together.
Wheelchairs scoot up closely to instruments so little ones can touch.
Throughout the place, there is a spirit of joy that is not limited by physical realities.
While, it may not be the case with most of us, these special-needs kiddoes live a life that is measured in small joys, joys that are unrelated to physical circumstances.
For their parents and teachers, it is a practiced lifestyle. Their joy is a daily perspective that requires inner discipline.
So, if you think that it is the volunteers, bringing with them their talents and their gentle hearts, who are the source of all that joy, you would be only half correct.
The real story is the joy the volunteers receive by being there.
The gift of joy. Brought to the event and delivered by children whose physical challenges are balanced by a special gift only a Loving Father could design.
The gift of joy. Passed along by parents, siblings and teachers who are practiced in it.
Sometimes in life it is necessary to take the gifts we want. They are offered. It is up to us to receive them.
Checklist Charlie, aka Cathy Primer Krafve, lives in Flint with her family. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
Okay, I confess, I have been known to wrap up presents and put them under the tree with my name on them. However, this particular gift isn’t offered in stores.
Each year at this time, Smith County Medical Alliance teams up with Discovery Science Place to host a party around a Sensory Tree.
What exactly is a Sensory Tree? Good question. It is a Christmas tree decorated with all the senses in mind.
Besides the usual twinkly lights and shining, colorful ornaments, there are also cinnamon sticks and doilies filled with potpourri for those who can smell, but cannot hear.
There are jingle bells and battery-powered, musical ornaments for those who can hear, but cannot see.
There are soft, fuzzy teddy bears and bristly pine cones to touch. A train toots as it circles the tree.
Musicians fill every room with holiday music.
The children fill the rooms with laughter.
Children lay on the floor to feel the vibrations of the fiddles or danced with their hands waving in the air.
Teachers and children sign their excitement, fingers fluttering.
Did you know the sign for the “shh” is just the one you would expect? Their teachers were use it a lot because it seems that hearing-impaired children are just as noisy as other children when they are having fun together.
Wheelchairs scoot up closely to instruments so little ones can touch.
Throughout the place, there is a spirit of joy that is not limited by physical realities.
While, it may not be the case with most of us, these special-needs kiddoes live a life that is measured in small joys, joys that are unrelated to physical circumstances.
For their parents and teachers, it is a practiced lifestyle. Their joy is a daily perspective that requires inner discipline.
So, if you think that it is the volunteers, bringing with them their talents and their gentle hearts, who are the source of all that joy, you would be only half correct.
The real story is the joy the volunteers receive by being there.
The gift of joy. Brought to the event and delivered by children whose physical challenges are balanced by a special gift only a Loving Father could design.
The gift of joy. Passed along by parents, siblings and teachers who are practiced in it.
Sometimes in life it is necessary to take the gifts we want. They are offered. It is up to us to receive them.
Checklist Charlie, aka Cathy Primer Krafve, lives in Flint with her family. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com.
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