You take my place after all you are my son

It took me forever this time, but it was well worth the wait. I've been reading Absalom, Absalom (Faulkner, of course) for, like, the whole summer. People always think that when I pick up a book, it must be time for them to talk to me. They just won't let me be! But maybe this time it was good-so I could savor every three-page-paragraph. WOW. I'm so serious--this is absolutely my favorite novel. Not to mention(although I am mentioning it) so many songs that the book triggers ("dressed in silk and flavored milk/ bred in bone and finely honed/ to sell what we/always sell what we can't own.")...anyway, read it. And if you've already read it: good, now read it again, but this time with meaning.-kmf

Coincide

So, every day I check the same websites as a sort of ritual, I guess. First and foremost is the weather (because it is the most relevant), then it's on to other things like other blogs, and then a nearby junkyard to check whatever wrecked cars they just got. You know...soothing times on the internet. One more on-line stop I make is: drawn.ca - an illustration blog. Today when I checked it the first image that came up was this SWEET gig poster for one of my all-time-favorite rock bands: Shonen Knife. Wow. That's all I can say...My band was on My site. I know -in particular- My wife is going to love this! -kmf

Pride Doth Swell A Father's Heart

Alright, so maybe you know what 4-H is and maybe you don't. But my son is a member in it and that means that he has to do, like, two demonstrations a year. The time came for him to do his next one and (as anyone with concern for the seasons would) he decided to make fresh salsa. He did his thing, then it was time for Q & A. People commented on how amazing the salsa tasted (of course it does--it's my wife's recipe); they were first concerned about it being too hot for them (our kids are probably jaded to a point on that); they asked him what else he cooks or prepares at home; and so-on and so-forth. Until -here's the good part- they were commenting on how well he handles a knife. When I heard that I nearly bursted at the seams. Someone there said that if they tried to cut like that, they'd probably cut off their fingers. He is my boy, my son. Sure, we do some chopping at home, and we always make him cut his own (and his sisters') food. But what I think is truly the best teaching tool is the hours we've spent watching "Iron Chef" together. My son, the torch is passed. I am still beaming a day later. -kmf

The Way That Young Lovers Do

So...last weekend the greatest thing happened. The air-conditioner's drain tube in our friends' car got clogged. It was pretty hot on the night we had planned to go into town, so we had to have our windows down. We had an incredible dinner at Sushi Masa; then went for coffee; then to 'Falls Park' to watch some goofy light/history show-terribly corny--but extremely fun; then to McDonald's (we needed ice cream and it was on the way out of town). By then it was dark out. So that's the setting--I'd thought the dinner would be the climax of the evening. We opted not to take the interstate home. So many things added up to create the best-experience-I've-had-in-a-long-time. Our friends were in the front seat (of a sweet, mid-ninties Accord-if you must know [I know I'd want to know]) and my wife and I were in the back. They were showing us how cool their new XM radio was, the a/c was un-usable, the windows were down, it was dark. We were boyfriend and girlfriend in the backseat. It was perfect enough just to sit with eachother in the dark wind and music. It filled something in my soul. Some giant part of our past that we hadn't noticed was anything-much less that it could be gone-was unexpectedly unleashed on us. It was great...it was mutual. It was exactly what our marriage needed. So thanks to Darrin and April for their part; and thanks to God for orchestrating so many things so well! -kmf