Not Me, Virginia

Dearest Rachel – I hardly need to remind you about events like Crazy Hair Night at Sparks; it was one of those ‘theme’ nights that you always used to make a point of participating in… As for myself, I didn’t throw myself into these theme nights with your level of abandon. Part of this wasContinue reading “Not Me, Virginia”

The Lethargy of the Cold

Dearest Rachel – What is it about Beach Night at Sparks that causes it to always be on the coldest night of the year? To be sure, it’s usually scheduled like this in the middle of January – presumably because, like that song about needing a little Christmas, everyone needs a little of the tropicsContinue reading “The Lethargy of the Cold”

The Reason for the Rasp

Dearest Rachel – I woke up this morning with a nasty rasp in my throat. I didn’t try to speak (who would I talk to at that hour? It was later than most mornings – more on that eventually – but the boys aren’t up at oh-dark-thirty like I am, and you’re… well, you wouldContinue reading “The Reason for the Rasp”

Not At This Hour

Dearest Rachel – I found myself awake this morning in pitch blackness, and upon checking the time, saw that it was barely four in the morning. I did get to bed shortly after we got home from Sparks – relatively speaking – but I wouldn’t say that ten o’clock was particularly early, given this situation.Continue reading “Not At This Hour”

Full Circle

Dearest Rachel – Another day, another letter where I don’t know what to tell you about. Not that I’m exactly short on topics, as much as the topics themselves are a little short, in terms of what I have to say. Some of them are due to a lack of details (including one about someoneContinue reading “Full Circle”

What Can You Do About the Weather?

Dearest Rachel – I’m pretty sure he wasn’t the first one to say it, but Mark Twain might have at least been responsible for popularizing the saying that “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” To be sure, it isn’t as if there’s a whole lot one can do about it; apartContinue reading “What Can You Do About the Weather?”

In Limitations, There Are Strengths

Dearest Rachel – To be honest, honey, this letter is probably more geared for Dad than it is for you. When I left his room yesterday afternoon – because I had to collect Daniel and grab an early dinner before the evening’s Awana club – he insisted that I present him with a full reportContinue reading “In Limitations, There Are Strengths”

Dealing With the Division

Dearest Rachel – As much as there were mixed emotions involved with our church’s expansion to multiple locations, it didn’t faze us as much as it could have. Sure, we wouldn’t see certain people at the original location on the same weekly basis as we used to, since we were moving over to attend theContinue reading “Dealing With the Division”

Chaotic Denouement

Dearest Rachel – Those two words in the title, while not directly contradictory or outright oxymoronic, don’t seem to go together, do they? After all, the denouement of a story is when things wind down; we’re within sight of ‘the end,’ and all those deserving of it begin living their own little “happily ever afters.”Continue reading “Chaotic Denouement”

When I Grow Up

Dearest Rachel – There was some confusion on Monday about whether Awana (and particularly, Sparks) was to be held that night. Our paper copy of the schedule had the 22nd as a day off, presumably due to Spring Break – granted, I was also assuming we’d be holding club every single week by now, soContinue reading “When I Grow Up”