Running the Rock

Sunday, December 4th, was Melissa's 40th birthday and to celebrate (huh?) she decided to enter the 5-man relay - part of the Dallas White Rock Marathon - and invited us to join her, Jason and Jennifer in the challenge.

Our team name - Mel's Birthday Brigade:



Next, we needed a logo and official t-shirts. Enter the crack design team at BrewerETC Marketing Group. LOL!



The birthday girl with all the kids and their jingle bells - provided by Melissa's mom. Melissa's parents, Paul and Loraine, came up from Kingwood to support the team and I'm not sure we could have pulled it off without them - the relay creates a few logistical challenges!



The girls bought matching running skirts and we were all grateful for the built in leggings because it was C-O-L-D and wet.



Boys modeling the back of the t-shirts



The catalyst of this great adventure was Mel's brother-in-law, John Vickers, who is an avid runner and was competing in the half-marathon (again). I don't know why I don't have any photos of John, but it might have been because John and Jerry left the house before 6am to get to Fair Park and work their way into the appropriate "starting pens".

It was raining when they left the house and it was raining at 8am when they started running. It rained all day, with the temperature dropping from a whopping high of 46 degrees to about 41 when we finished five hours later.

Jerry on the course ...



Jason ran the second leg and unfortunately we didn't have a way to capture any photos of his journey. Mel and I waited at the next transition point, freezing in the cold drizzle.



Jason handing off the "team tracker" to Melissa



... and she's off!



It's so rare that official race photos turn out good, but this is a great shot of Melissa. It looks like she's really making tracks!



Melissa covered one side of White Rock Lake and I covered the other - here we are at the hand off point.



Securing the tracker in my pocket and getting some info on course conditions (cold and wet)



Jennifer, Paul, Loraine and all the kids made it out to meet Jason and Melissa at the next hand-off point, where I would get to stop running up hill and pass the tracker to Jennifer. I think Melissa was smiling because she was finished!



Here I come, running into the transition area ...



red-faced from the cold wind, and lungs burning from running that last grade.

Jason made the observation that he had felt kind of powerful during his run, because the relay participants are mixed in with the marathoners and as they're starting to feel tired, you're just getting going. Well, my segment ended just after mile 21 - known to marathoners as "the wall". Race organizers almost always arrange the course so that "the wall" is located on a steep grade - just to test your will power. I wasn't running my best time up that last hill, but I passed a few marathoners - huffing and puffing - who provided the motivation to push on and made me feel like a better runner than I am.



I lucked out with my transition because Jason and Melissa met me and I was able to warm up in Jason's car on our way to the finish. We didn't see her cross the line, but I snagged these photos from the race photographer. Pretty impressive!



She looks happy and might have been thinking about the hot pancakes we were promised, but did not receive, at the post-race event!



Our official team photo ...



Aside from the weather, it was fun and Jerry and I were happy to be part of Melissa's big birthday. It's something we will all remember for a long, long time!

Everyone Loves a Parade!

Saturday morning, we headed out to our reserved bleacher seats (yeah!) to meet Jason, Melissa and Mel's sister, Jennifer, and her family from Kingwood. As we were waiting, a gentleman who we believe could be the "real Santa" came walking by. Zach wanted to double check the information he had gotten from Mrs. Claus the night before. Yep ... nice list!



He asked Santa to take a picture with him and he was very agreeable. Luke snuck into the background, but didn't confirm his status.



Zach, monkeying around with Jerry



There are many cool things about this parade, but the clowns are awesome. Tons of clowns are hanging around the bleachers, playing tricks on the kids and taking pictures.



We're all here ... when does this start?



Starbucks? Check. Reindeer antlers? Check.



Here comes Thomas the Train



Dancing cowboys and cowgirls



Old McDonald had a farm ...



Llama, Llama Red Pajamas ...



I have to be honest, I don't have a clue who this character is, but the colors were good!



And then the Star Wars characters arrived on the scene ...



Storm Troopers ...



Imperial Guard (I think)



Darth Vader ...



Captain America ...



And who wouldn't love a Dolly Parton gingerbread cookie?



Here's a whole troop of gingerbread men ...



Bob the Builder - YES we CAN!



This bat character looks a lot cuter than the creatures living next door!



The Adolphus float ...



The Green Lantern ...



Elmo and a fish bowl



These white horses were pretty impressive



The Hardin Band - these guys are good



For a while, we were surrounded by "men in yellow hats"! Zach had hung out with Curious George at the party the night before.



Everyone had a good time with the passing of the Bubble Train



And here is the conductor ...



Giant nutcracker!



This clown was part of the dinner act and he was trying to get something going with the beauty queen, which gave his wife a reason to "plank him" with a board.



The high-kicking Kilgore Rangerettes ...



Here comes Santa Claus ...



but not the same Santa who visited with us before the parade.



It was a fun time and we learned that investing in bleacher seats is the way to go!

Dinner with Mrs. Claus

Although things started downhill with Dad the week before Thanksgiving, we've had some fun, mixed in with the stress and sorrow. We continued the tradition of visiting the Dallas Brewers the first weekend of December and this year, we decided to "up our game" and attend Dinner with Mrs. Claus, which was held at our hotel, the Adolphus, on Friday night.

They always have a lovely Christmas tree and after some wrangling, I captured a good shot of the Brewer men.



George was there



... Wild Thing, too!



Before dinner, they had set up a cool craft area and Zach took full advantage of the festivities ...



Deep in concentration - building a helicopter



We thought the building assistant displayed amazing courage, placing her fingers in range of a pounding hammer!



We took silly photos in the photo booth, seriously considered getting a Christmas tattoo and made an ornament with Zach's hand print.



Luke felt he was too old for the crafts, but he did write a letter to Santa Claus (just in case) and when Mrs. Claus came out to greet her guests, both Luke and Zach wanted to know which list they were on. Luckily, they were on the NICE list, but Mrs. Claus reminded Luke that there was still three weeks to go!



The food was great and we all enjoyed a fun show during dinner. Soon we learned that we were the highest bidder on an amazingly large wreath, boasting lots of Texas Rangers logo items. It was for a good cause and we hope the Dallas Brewers forgive us for "unloading" this gem at their house. After the event, we watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and got some rest before the big parade on Saturday.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me ...
I once was lost but now am found,
was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far ...
and Grace will lead us home.




Dad passed away yesterday, December 9th, at 11:43am and although he had put up a mighty struggle - to recover and walk again after the fall (photo from PT at Hampton), and over many years to deal with debilitating vascular dementia - he let go and is now at peace.

He received great care along the way - Holly Hall, Methodist Hospital, the Hampton Post Oak and finally the Houston Hospice. I have to say that the staff, volunteers and lovely facility on Holcombe were a great comfort to all of us in the end. The staff was constantly checking on Dad (and us) and keeping us apprised of changes in his status. The volunteers were all around, visiting with us and staying with Dad if we needed to step out for a while.

Shortly before he passed away, a music therapy volunteer came by and offered to sing a few songs that Dad might like. She told us that she would like to sit on a stool at the foot of the bed and place the bottom of her guitar on the bed near Dad's feet - stating that the vibrations from the guitar can be felt by the patient and it is very comforting.

Ed, Mary, me, Kent and Memphis were in the room and after playing several old, familiar tunes she offered to sing something religious. We opted for Amazing Grace and it was sad, but lovely. I think the music was just what we all needed - Dad too - and afterward she gave Memphis a quick music lesson, letting him strum the guitar.

Kent and Memphis headed for the gardens and Jerry arrived shortly after. We began the debate about where Jerry should pick up our lunch and once the focus was shifted away, suddenly there was another change in Dad's breathing. He was letting go, and we surrounded him and said goodbye. It was his time and was very peaceful.

Many adjustments are ahead of us, but we know that he is no longer weighed down by an old, painful body and has moved on to a better place. And that is Amazing Grace.

Moving Dad to Hospice

Some of you know that Dad fell several weeks ago and fractured the L2 vertebra. After a short stay at Methodist Hospital, followed by a longer stay at The Hampton, today we moved him to the Houston Hospice. He turned 91 last Monday and made an attempt at recovery through physical therapy, but it was just too much. We don't know how many days or hours he has left, but he is in the best place possible to smooth the transition from this world to the next.

There is a writing in the hospice information that is very fitting for our Dad, given his love of sailing years ago. As a teenager, I spent many hours with him at Seabrook Shipyard - working on the Neried, his first sailboat, and learning to sail in Galveston Bay.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a spec of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side has said: "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying. ~ Henry Van Dyke