Blue-Eyed People Have One Common Ancestor

This headline jumped out at me this morning from my stack of news stories

Blue-Eyed People Have One Common Ancestor

DUH !!!!!

Ever hear of Adam and Eve ?

I have a copy of an amazing book. A historical document of mankind. It's a true account of our creation and history. And a totally accurate guide of times to come. My copy was first published in 1611. Authorized by none other than James the First of England. A translation from Greek texts as well as from the Hebrew.There have been a lot of newer translations in the past 397 years. Several I've read and enjoy. I also use many as references. In fact I'd like to recommend the version I use on my computer. It contains many translations, commentaries, dictionaries, maps, concordances and more. It's a powerful tool and you can have it for free. get it free

E-SWORD

My purpose here is not to start a debate over the various translations, but to tell you about a powerful guide for life.

A special treat yesterday for me. Kristie and I were able to sync our schedules and I met my sweetie for lunch at Corbett McGee's. We had a very nice time and some good food.

I ordered authentic English style Fish & Chips except that I substituted the chips ( fries ) for their unique homemade Crisps & Dip. ( Home-fried potato chips with a salsa-ranch dip )

Kristie ordered a Grilled Chicken Philly which had grilled sliced chicken, peppers, onions, & melted Provolone cheese on a Philly. She also had a bowl of their great Herbed Tomato Bisque soup.

You ought to try them some time for lunch. It's very pleasant. And at night it tends to be a little busier, but they have live music. Celtic bands most of the time. It is good fun then too. So step-out and feed the Irish in ya !

My pastor just posted in his Blog
It's about an accident with his infant daughter Charisse. She will be fine after falling and hitting her head. Perry describes how it felt to take his baby to the doctor and to stand helplessly while they administer treatment and preform tests.

Reading his thoughts I was reminded of this past Sunday's message

There were some points made illustrated clearly here.

Understand these things about Jesus

1) He is close enough to hear us
2) He is Powerful enough to act
3) He is faithful enough to trust


Luke 22:42 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.

UPDATE:

It's raining here at 10 pm so I guess I'll have to wait twenty-one more years for another chance to see an asteroid this close.


I am NOT complaining ..... We need the rain .

Tonight if you just can't sleep. And IF it is still clear, you might want to put on your robe and step out on your back porch and look up. In case you haven't already heard, we're getting an unusual visitor... no, it's not Aunt Mabel. It is Asteroid 2007 TU24. Which is making its closest Earth approach in more than 2,000 years. It not big by planetary standards but a rock of that size would create a major blast if it hit us. NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office says there is no possibility of that within the foreseeable future. low-resolution radar images of asteroid 2007 TU24

2007 TU24 is somewhat asymmetrical in shape with a diameter of roughly 800 feet. Objects of this size don't come near Earth very often. The next one should be asteroid Apophis in 2029 and again in 2036. ( can't wait )

Asteroid 2007 TU24 ( the proper name ) will pass within 334,000 miles of Earth tonight around 3:33 am Eastern Time. That's close about one and half times the distance from the Earth to the
Moon. And IF the skies are still clear it should be visible through amateur telescopes or good binoculars.

Tonight's forecast, however is not good. At 3:30 it is expected to be scattered clouds at 2500 feet and overcast at 3500 feet with light rain showers and mist. But you never know the rain could hold off long enough.

Once in a while the basketball games games at Anderson University are flip flopped. Last night the guys were up first. If there is ever a need to win a game this was it. Coker and A.U. are neck in neck in the standings. A loss would drop that team several places in the tight race. The guys came out fired up but the Cobras took the first half lead and held it for 14 minutes. Then a couple of free throws gave A. U. their first lead but it was short. Back and forth the lead changed 5 times in the final five minutes. But Coker ended the half on top by one point with a smooth layup by Stevie Evans with two seconds remaining giving Coker a 31-30 margin.

In the second half Anderson dominated the glass, out rebounding the Cobras 44-33 times. But the lead continued to swap. Then with only seconds remaining Kris Fudzinskas scored on a putback and after a foul it seemed settled but the Cobras weren't ready to lose just yet. Yet another basket and a Coker foul sealed the deal as Jonathan Mattox made his free throw for the final margin of 72-69.


In the Girls games there were few worries. Coker's girls team is in last place and the previous meet between them was a 29 point win for the A.U. Tonight proved to be the same as the Lady Trojans scored easily after the tip off and went on to rout Coker for ninth straight time. The Cobras were outscored 50-25 in the first half and A.U. continued in the second half with a 87-48 victory.

Go A.U.

Bluegrass Gospel music lost a legend this weekend.

And I've lost a friend.

Music is a big part of my life. I love all types of music. I traveled with a Gospel music group for years. One of our mentors, a man who befriended and supported us through out our careers passed away this weekend. Donald Watkins of the Watkins Family, suffered a heart attack during a performance in North Carolina Saturday night. He was 66.

Donald is on the left

Today the music for me has grown a little quieter.

I've known Donald or "Duck " as we called him, for about as long as I can remember. I remember we bought our first P.A, system from him when we were starting out. And later he was the source for "Big Red" our dinosaur. Our custom coach bus.

I remember going to his house and spending hours in jam sessions. His kids were infants then. As they grew older Donald always bought them the best instruments. I remember Donald telling me once that you'll never play any better than your equipment. His children turned out to be incredibly talented. I guess he was right.

Over the years our musical paths crossed from time to time. Our groups traveled in slightly different yet occasionally overlapping circles. Donald was always ready with advice and ideas. He was always supportive and just plain fun to hang around with.

His group was all family. They traveled over the country and Canada much like we did together living in their bus. Town to town, church to church. They were the first Bluegrass gospel group to ever perform on Capital Hill and were heard by dignitaries from around the world. The Watkins family were loved by everyone.

It will be hard for Judy his wife and the kids after so many years so close together. Yet I expect that family as a group will continue.

Tonight just before you fall asleep remember the Watkins family in your prayers.

Here it is Monday morning, a week since my last real blog post. That puts me a week behind.
Here is my catch-up post.

Monday : My dentist appointment went well. I am now all clean and shiny and promised once again to floss EVERY day. Let's see ..I posted about the A. U. Basketball games.

Tuesday : Tuesday was a great day. I hooked-up with Ted for lunch and once again we violated all reason by eating ( EATING ) at Kacey's . "Stuffed to the gills" pretty much says it all. In the evening Kris and I had absolutely nothing but time together relaxing.

Wednesday : Began with a visit to Doctor Daws to set up some of the tests for my physical. "Growing old ain't for sissies." , my favorite quote this year.

Thursday : Finally we got together with Amy and Joel for the kids Christmas. Only a month late. Seriously with the new baby and building their house ...whew, at least we see the Monk often.

Friday : Friday was a day of flying for me. I got Cafe' Ken up. His father was a pilot and Ken, from the A.U. Cafe, had not been flying since his dad died. We had a great time together and flew up to the mountain in search of snow. We found a small amount. It was glassy smooth.
After we got back Ted and I went up and flew off in the other direction. Down to Augusta to shoot some approaches and practice cross country. In all I logged 5.2 hours as PIC and/or as safety pilot.

Saturday : Basketball day. The Monk had a game at 10:30, we slept in a little, so we had to jump up and get ready quickly. Ashley scored 4 baskets. Since she'd scored two the game before, she declared it was a buy one get one free day. It is fun watching 5 and 6 year old kids play.
A.U. had games Saturday night. The girls started slowly and fell behind. But they finally warmed up just before half time and moved into the lead by two. After the half they came out and played like they should and won convincingly by 29 points. The guys had a major challenge before them. Barton is the defending National Champions of division II NCAA college basketball. They seemed to be running away with the game but about midway into the second half a fire ignited with our boys. The Trojans went on a rampage and believe it or not we came really close to winning. Our guys are making me so proud. At the buzzer it was a 7 point loss. And deliberate foul shots were most of that. Way to go guys .... J-max looked great again. He is such a disciplined player. Rock solid. He went one on one against the number one player in the country all night and the guy Never once got by him. this guy is the highest scorer in the nation and Jonathan held him to 3 points . J-Max J-Max !

Sunday : Last night was the Lord's supper service at church. I was challenged like never before. God has been so good to us. After church we stopped off at the store for some milk and a few items. Another week gone by quickly.

I am still here. Maybe I can catch up later tonight ;-)

Oh this is too funny !!

Sports rivalries are a fun thing. Anderson University and Erskine College have a long history of great games between them. That rivalry is so big the schools formed a year long contest of academics, community and sports, and the winner takes home a huge silver cup and obviously bragging rights for the next twelve months. Each activity or sport is assigned a set value in points and tonight was basketball. Anderson, which won last year was out to a daunting lead already even before the games tonight. 10.5 points to zero. Tonight was the night to " Black-Out" the Flying Fleet.

First up tonight were the Lady Trojans and the Fleet from Erskine. A.U. opened the game with a 22-6 run and cruised to an easy victory 89-60. That gives the girls 6 straight and a solid lead in the conference.

The guys came out fired up. And the game started with a quick 9 points by the Trojans. But things settled down for Erskine and they battled back and forth over the lead several times. With around 6 minutes to go the Fleet pulled ahead to a 49-45 lead. But the Trojans were not about to give-up. Going on a rampage of points and steals they fought back to a 65-55 victory. It was one of the most exciting moments in A. U. history and completed a sweep for the night.
The victories earned Anderson 2 more points towards the cup and puts Erskine in the position of having to win almost everything else this year to have a chance.

Greg and the cafe staff, co-sponsor of the cup pulled all the stops tonight. The amazing A.U. fresh roasted turkey and shrimp the size of a lobster claw. WOW !! it was so good. And the crowd was great. Standing room only.

Oh J.J. Jumper the NCAA mascot was at the game tonight providing fun, games, t-shirts and prizes. And once again I caught a shirt. Yeah !!!! Size small. SO as promised Ashley went home with a NCAA basketball shirt.
Speaking of Ashley, I need to tell you that she danced with the Trojan dancers again tonight. Did fantastic.

Gooooo Trojans

Big weekend around here. Early we had round one of the snow then company for dinner. Next round two of the snow. And tonight I am informed might be a small round three.

Kristie's mother, along with Kristie's father and grandmother came over between snows for dinner. It was my mom-in law's birthday and she pretends to love my "Squash-a-mollies" as Kristie's dad calls any Mexican cooking.

I fixed enchiladas, Spanish / Mexican rice, fajitas, chicken and cheese quesadillas, Chili Relinos and black beans. I wish I'd had time and ingredients to fix them with this way. I will next time I assure you. Roy, Kristie's dad even had a plate full. And he is basically a bean and cornbread man.

For dessert Kristie made a from scratch Key Lime - White Chocolate pie. A masterpiece for sure. And unlike store bought pies, this one was actually low fat.


At Church last night they had the outline of the two new forth coming buildings outlined with rope lights. It was awesome seeing what is coming here soon. God is blessing us beyond measure.

BTW credit for this photo must go out to Sherry from her BLOG.

**Your Help is Needed **

Have you seen these individuals?

They were last seen lurking around campus on Thursday morning, but they can not be found now.

Authorities puzzled as rumors fly.

Here is a sketch of the suspected ring leader.

Remember these individuals should be considered cold and may be connected with a plot to disrupt daily classes and could also be connected with the current milk and bread shortage in our local market place.

If you have information as to their whereabouts , please contact somebody.. anybody... maybe your mom.


NWS officials suspect there is a possibility they may return to the area late tonight or tomorrow, so please maintain continued vigilance.

The proceeding was posted as a courtesy to Campus Security

" Look Dave, It's snowing" Alvin the Chipmunk to David Seville at the end of the song "White Christmas".

It did snow last night.
Here is a shot I took just 25 minutes ago over at the airport

Ok Not really. I am kidding
This is actually a picture is from Buffalo last year.

But it did snow here.

Not too much. According to the National Weather Service at Anderson the snow started a little before 6pm last night and lasted until around 10:30 when it turned into light rain and mist. Not a real problem since the temperature hovered at 33.1 degrees for the past 10 hours. About .53 of an inch so far. The roads are wet but ice is not an issue here. And ice is the big weather thing in the upstate. Snow- no ice. We are happy people. Light rain or mist should continue more or less the rest of the day. Turning to mist and fog late tonight. But beware. It should fall below freezing around 9-10 tonight and get down into the mid twenties by sunrise tomorrow. That's when the real trouble comes. Driving could be treacherous for your Friday commute.

Be careful and remember this is your final chance to clean off the grocery store shelves. In the South just saying the word snow causes milk and bread to magically evaporate from the stores.

I beat Chuck Norris !!


When I came in tonight I had a message on my machine. It was Chuck Norris. Yes the Chuck Norris aka Walker Texas Ranger.

Maybe you got one too. It was a recording inviting me to attend a political rally in Clemson. Still it's not every day you hear from a legend.

The call reminded me of one of my claim to fame stories. Honest, it is completely true.

I beat Chuck Norris !!

Ok it was a long time ago. As you know I went to high school in Southern California and we were on a band trip to a little tourist place called Japanese Village and Deer Park. It's a cute little replica of a village complete with petting zoo.
In those days Chuck Norris was yet to become the mega Hollywood star and still ran a string of Karate schools. He also was a semi-regular at the place giving demonstrations.

Our gang of musically inclined school kids, the MVHS marching band, was there and Chuck made the mistake of asking for a volunteer. I got shoved into being it by my trouble making fellow drum section buddies.He was at the part where he shows how he disarms a robber. He then gives me a wooden cutout that looked roughly like a semi-auto pistol. My instructions were to hold it out pointed at his back and say " stick 'em up". Chuck was then going to take the gun from my hand before I could even blink. He did not know I was well motivated and trying to impress a certain cute flute player.

So I pointed the gun and prepared to say my line. In theory Chuck Norris was going to... with a swift spinning turn and kick, knock the gun away then follow-up by grabbing me and taking control. I was supposed to say "BANG" when I saw him move. But by then he said it would be too late as I would no longer have the gun.

I uttered my line ...." stick 'em up", and the six time world champion quickly spun around in a blur and hit my wrist with his foot. But I held on to the gun by some quirk of fate. As the room settled and Chuck stopped moving I said in a loud slow voice
" B A N G "
The room fell apart and even Chuck had to laugh. He then went on to explain that was why you should "NEVER try this yourself".

So I had beaten the best. A man who was 65-6 life time. Arguably the best in the world. I had beaten CHUCK NORRIS. ( did I make him 65 -7 ?)

BTW , Chuck is an outspoken Christan and has written several great books. Such as "The Justice Riders", "Against All Odds" and "The Secret of Inner Strength".

You should read one sometime.

And yes. If the roads are ok I will be at the rally.

Yes I know Christmas passed for this year, yet here is my review of a Christmas cd.
Well first off I ran out of time to get it reviewed before the holidays, and second it is a great cd which I will not limit to the Christmas season.

Most modern Christmas music is either just alright or plain lame. But once in a while something comes along where the artist truly shines while pouring their heart and soul into the project. This cd really stands out. Jars did a three song Christmas ep "Drummer Boy" years ago, early in their careers. But this is a full blown project. Starting with the instrumental opener to the grand finale of " I heard the Bells on Christmas Day " they manage to sound fresh and unique, modern yet classic. I especially love the intro of " The Gift of St. Cecilia "
Also included is a fun take on Paul McCartney's " Wonderful Christmas Time". " Love Came Down at Christmas", and the version of " O Little Town of Bethlehem" after being given the Jars touch, proves their musical genius.

I love the song "Winterskin" and the instrumental "Evergreen" where I can actually feel the crunching snow walking in the forest.

Other surprises are "Gabriel's Message," and "Peace Is Here".

But my favorite cut is the " I heard the Bells on Christmas Day " which contains such amazing timeless lyrics as I posted here.

This is not just a Christmas cd. It is music you can enjoy all year long. So don't over look it. It is one of their best projects yet.

Today was fun. I had the rare privilege to join my amazing, beautiful bride, who is my best friend at lunch today at a fairly new spot.

da Vinci's Italian Ristorante

It was great. She had already eaten there a couple times before and we tried last Saturday night after the A.U. Basketball game. Dragging along with my sister and nephew. But the place was slammed. Packed so full we could not even get in the door. Today was busy but pleasantly so.

I had a Penne rigate pasta with four cheeses in a white Alfredo type sauce. Superb. Kristie had the tour of Italy with four menu choices. It was a nice pleasant dining experience. Kudos to the management, who had tasteful music playing, but kept the volume low enough you could actually hold a conversation while dining . You won me over.. I will be back. Btw they have gourmet Italian dessert coffees ... and cheese cakes galore.

After we ate I drove Kristie to her annual eye exam. She would not be able to drive after, and while she was there I ran a few errands around town. Then we came home, still too full to eat dinner and had a mini Gilligan's Island fest.

A great day.

SNOW is COMING !!!!

Kristie and went to the game tonight. The Trojans split a double header ( boys and girls ) against Belmont Abbey College of Charlotte.

The night opened with the Lady Trojans proving they were number one as the thrashed the Crusaders 71-56. As both teams were tied for first place going in the win moves Anderson solidly into the lead, and should affect their National Standing.

The guys feeling great after back- to- back road wins faced the number one team in the conference. Belmont Abbey jumped out to a 34-9 lead early in the game and continued to overshadow our guys for a final of 60 -90. The Crusader men had just this past week upset the defending National Champion team with a lopsided win. The 3-4 Trojans are now right in the middle of the standings. Fifth place of 11 teams.

A personal highlight was, our friend and Kevo's former High School teammate, Jonathan Mattox got some good playing time tonight and looked near perfect scoring 11 points had one rebound and a steal. Goooo J-Max

Deep Thoughts # 5

# If a person with multiple personalities threatens suicide, is that considered a hostage situation?

# If you're sending someone some Styrofoam, what do you pack it in?

# If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

# Why do you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead?

# Why do banks charge you a 'non-sufficient funds' fee on money they already know that you don't have?

Zzzzz , Zzzzz, sleeping like a log

Boom ! RumbleRumblerumble !!

What's That ?? Sitting straight up in bed.

It's not a plane.... Thunder ! I was awakened last night around 1 am by the sound of thunder and heavy rain. A t-storm in mid January. We need the rain.

As I drove past the lake yesterday I noticed that the depth sign is at least back in the water now. We are still very far behind, but the recent rains are a blessing.

Back to sleep smiling, because it's raining.



Kristie and her family are doing good under the circumstances. Thanks to those who called and messaged your love and support. It's never easy with the unexpected and unexplained loss of a family member. They are a close family. Kris has been staying at her Grandmothers home the past few nights.

Family and friends all gathered there last night. And one of the children, 5 years old said something I thought was wonderful.

" I love seeing all the people at this reunion"

Out of the mouths of babes !! You know that is a very accurate assessment of family pulling together in trying times.

Wait until he sees the gathering at the final reunion.


Please remember all of us your prayers as we go through this time.

The final season college football polls are out:

LSU finished as number one but look who came in as number two.

UGA

Go Dogs !!!! WOOF WOOF !

Clemson finished 23rd ...A nice finish for the Tigers

Now I can fully concentrate on A.U. Hoops

I took the first week of the year away from the blog to be with my Smokin' Hot wife. And secondly to recharge and realign my activities. It was great.

I planned a return posting yesterday, but we had a death in our family.

Please, at prayer time today, add Kristie's family. Remember them in this time of loss of her Aunt.

Thanks