Thank you Kate for the affection and loyalty, and for the peace you brought into our home.  You are truly missed.

My first bike memory is sitting on my first 2-wheeler in Santa’s secret storage place in our basement one December.  I’d sit on it for hours anxious to find it under the tree later in the month.  It had a bell, but I didn’t dare ring it for fear of Santa changing his mind.

As a child I was always on a bike.  I used it in fulfilling my duties of delivering newspapers for many years, and I recall a physical beating at the hands of my elementary school principal for riding my bike on the roof and down the halls of the school.  I rode my bike as I explored the far reaches of Hancock County, when I was only allowed to ride it in the neighborhood.  I mastered riding with no hands.  I considered the handlebars as an extra seat for carrying a friend, not for steering the machine.

As I grew older, I began to ride more competitively – nothing too serious – but as a young adult I was riding outdoors in nice weather and indoors whenever I could.  I’d ride Centuries (100 km or 100 mile) on weekends.  I could eat anything I wanted.  Spending a couple hours each day in the saddle burned a lot of calories.

My favorite rider of all time is Greg Lemond; he and his story are amazing.  When he was the first American to ever win the Tour in 1986, I was in my best riding shape ever.  Not the fastest, but in the best cardiovascular and cycling shape.   Ten years later when I entered my forties, back problems and other health issues took me away from the bike.  I tried to replace it with something less punishing, like swimming, but I was like a fish out of water (sorry for the pun) away from the bike.  I sit here today seventy pounds heavier than fifteen years ago and I wish I could ride it all away.

Today I spend early mornings every July watching young men riding their legs off in the Tour de France wondering what it would have been like if I had forgone family and career in pursuit of more competitive cycling.  I guessing my body would have fallen apart somewhat like it did anyhow.  I don’t regret my decisions one bit.  But I do wonder.

We sat in his living room and watched every second of the US Open. It was rained out one of the days, so we spent five days instead of four, together. I can’t remember who won.

As we would sit there and watch the tournament, we would often go an hour without saying a word to one another. Perhaps only guys can understand how that happens. It felt very comfortable and completely natural. It was pure joy; I know he enjoyed our time together that weekend too.

I didn’t know this would be the last time I’d see him; he was gone six weeks later. In some ways, it was the only time I’d seen him in 35 years. We hadn’t spent much time together since I left as a young adult, even if we were in the same place. We had an odd relationship to say the least. But when we sat for those five days in June of 2009, we both knew one another as if we were the closest of friends.

I have seen lots of statistics in the past couple of years regarding fatherhood and the state of the family in our country. It breaks my heart to hear about the number of fatherless homes, especially in the African-American community where 2 out of 3 children live in fatherless homes. What a tragedy. Although my memories of time spent with Dad are few, I couldn’t imagine going through life not having these memories.

Father’s Day for me has always had some tension to it, with regards to my father. But a Father’s Day without him is no good. He is now in the arms of our Father in heaven and that helps to make everything OK.

• I’m the woman you placed in a safe shelter.
• I’m the grandparent raising my children’s children.
• I’m the refugee that is trying to start over with your guidance.
• I’m the child who gets to eat because of you.
• I’m the co-worker you’ve encouraged all year long.
• I’m the caregiver you provide respite for.
• I’m the person you helped to navigate the system.
• I’m the father you helped find a job.
• I’m the chronically ill man who relies on you for transportation.
• I’m the student you’ve mentored.
• I’m the veteran you’ve counseled.
• I’m the homebound widow you see every week.
• I’m the neighbor you listen to.

Thank you helpers - you make a huge difference every day!

To get caught up on what’s been happening, please read TEC Fall 2009 update

When a magnificent creature becomes such a meaningful part of your life, there is no questioning whether or not there is a Creator.  God has shown His love to us through this loving dog.

We miss her dearly. 

Here’s a chance for you to meet Mellow Yellow Calamity Jane.

Individuals and organizations tend to dream, design, plan, implement and evaluate without much outside help; without much synergy – especially when times are good. When life is humming along just fine, we sometimes think or say things like, “I don’t like their idea, mine is better,” or “if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself,” or “this is my event – they’ll just have to figure it out themselves.”

But when times are a little tougher, we might think or say things like, “I could use a little help with this,” or “maybe they need some help with their event,” or “if we don’t come together on this, how will these families make it?” Tough times tend to teach us about the power of synergy.

The key phrase in the definition of synergy is “their combined effect is greater.” Finding new ways to collaborate, partner and share is more important today than ever. Coming together in our communities provides a greater combined effect. Happily, we see this happening in communities all across Arizona.

• Provide nutrition to students, families and the community
• Educate students, their families and the community on nutrition and food issues
• Raise hunger awareness within the community
• Increase community involvement within the school
• Connect high school agriculture students with the elementary school
• Equip students for a high school agriculture program
• Foster and develop student and community leadership
• Demonstrate effective asset-based community development
• Promote Personal development of students – self esteem, confidence and pride
• Position school administration as collaborative thought leaders

Documents:

02-26-09-minutes

02-26-09-email-invite

11-18-08-minutes

original-concept-paper

Our communities are loaded with Champions. They defend and support libraries, children, the environment, small business, animals, economic development, job training, justice, hospitals, education, art, ethics, youth programs – the list goes on and on. Champions are everywhere and they are the core ingredient of a family-friendly, livable community. Here are a few qualities found in all Champions:

• An unquenchable passion
• A sense of purpose
• An ability to engage others in their cause
• A great work ethic
• A solutions-oriented mindset
• A long-term view

Who are the Champions in your community? Are you a Champion? Is there a cause in your community that needs a Champion? The next time you are with a community Champion, thank them for all they do.