Psalm 4:2

"You have as much laughter as you have faith"

~Martin Luther

Miss congeniality

    "The spirit stick got its start at a camp at the University of Redlands in California. We had a squad out there who cheered for the other groups and were full of spirit, but they had almost no talent. So, I decided they had to have some recognition because their great attitude was just as important as skill! I broke a little stick off a tree and awarded them the 'spirit stick' for their unusual spirit. Then we started doing this at all the camps, awarding the spirit stick to the groups who showed the most spirit each day, and whoever won it at the end of the week got to take it home with them. The spirit stick is the most outstanding award you can get. It's the symbol for spirit." ~Lawrence Herkimer

Awarding a spirit stick is not so much about skills and conditioning as it is about... well, SPIRIT.

There might be people who are better cheerleaders in that their moves are more accurate or more sharp, or they may be capable of more stunts or tumbling, or they may know more chants- but the spirit-stick recipient is the person who perhaps has the most positive attitude, the most supportive of their squad-mates, attempts the most direct crowd-encouragement, or if nothing else, they put forth the most effort (remember the formula e/a= s effort divided by ability equals success). So yes, it occasionally might go to someone who shows the most improvement. It's also important to remember that if you're not getting the spirit stick, that doesn't mean you aren't doing an awesome job.

Here are some of the qualities I will be looking for each game-

First, from our mission statement:
Positive, Committed Leaders stirring-up spirit, building excellence & character

    * Who remains positive the whole game?
    * Who demonstrates the most commitment?
    * Shows leadership (managing, facilitating and setting an example- not JUST directing)
    * Stirs-up school spirit (in crowd, team, and within the squad)
    * Strives to improve
    * and has personal integrity, principles and character


Those are pretty subjective, I admit, I can't see into your soul, after all, so I look for what's a lot easier to see. Things like:

    * School Spirit
    * Sportsmanship
    * Energy
    * Expression
    * Encouraging/supportive

And, I hope you'll read the posts I make about John Wooden's Pyramid of Success, because some of his"bricks" also embody the meaning of the spirit stick:

    * Friendship
    * Loyalty
    * Cooperation
    * Enthusiasm
    * Self-Control
    * Team Spirit

I will be awarding our spirit stick on a weekly basis. Winners will receive it each Monday and are responsible for returning it the following Friday before the game. They're also responsible (of course) for not letting it touch the ground. That's not actually about bad luck- it's symbolic of the fact that you should always keep your spirit up!

Yes, I welcome your input, but no, it's not a democracy, it's definitely a coach-ocracy. I want to hear who you all think deserves it. I especially want to hear from past recipients, but I do reserve the final word.

I don't believe that the NCA founder and inventor of the "Herkie" jump meant for the spirit stick to be a mere consolation prize. I think he'd agree that being positive, having good sportsmanship, and encouraging others is more important in cheerleading than impressive stunts, choreographed routines, or sharp moves and jumps.

My Muse

Using my love for inspiration

Quincy's Angels

The following story ran in the Thursday, December 10, 2009 Dunlap Reporter

Boyer Valley freshman Quincy Baker has a lot of school spirit. He's really wanted to participate in school activities and be a part of a team just like his older brother, Senior Colton Baker. But Quincy is a special needs student with a lot of limitations. It isn't always easy for him to communicate, he's endured hundreds of surgeries in his short lifetime and because he's so slim, a lot of people assume that he's more frail than he is.

For a long time it looked like school sports was just out of the question. But part way through football season last fall, Quincy had three "angels" intervene for him. Senior Football Cheerleaders Sasha Meggers, Meckensie Jensen and Christine Harriott realized that Quincy's school spirit could be put to good use. All three girls had served at different times as helpers or baby sitters for "Q" as they call him. Sasha was practically a sister to him, having grown up as next door neighbors with the Bakers in Dow City.

The three Seniors talked to their Coach, Ted Mallory, and Quincy's Mom, Paula Ritterbush Eickholt and the next thing he knew, Quincy was part of the squad. Meggers, Jensen, and Harriott had been cheering for Boyer Valley since the seventh grade, so Quincy's been exposed to every cheer they have and the girls had often taught them to him. They joke about being his girlfriends, but whenever he se's a photograph of any of the three girls in a yearbook or on Coach Mallory's desk, he lights up and points to his squad-mates.

Qunicy cheered at home football games in 2009. He plans on cheering at home basketball games this year too, although because of the inherent danger of balls, players and referees, he will be in the stands directly beside the squad. At the season opener in Missouri Valley, on of the cheerleaders was actually hit in the head with a ball. Coach Mallory frequently has to dodge colissions and crashes when he takes pictures for the yearbook and the Reporter.

Quincy's three angels have moved on from cheerleading. Harriott will graduate at semester, Jensen is putting more hours in at her job in Soldier and Meggers has been focusing on being Captain of the Boyer Valley Drill Squad- which just brought home their fifth first place State rating for pom in a row. Even though they're moving on, the girls still have plans for Quincy. They want to take him to his first prom.

This year's basketball Cheer squad features four Sophomores, two Freshmen and a Junior. Only Sophomore Cammey Hast has cheer in high school before, though another four have cheered in junior high. Mallory has been impressed with their energy, enthusiasm and initiative at practices.

"If they can push past their stage fright," he says "they will be incredibly effective at raising spirit at games." He thinks they've got a lot of skill and have a ton of potential.

Mallory has coached both middle school and high school cheer at Boyer Valley since 2001. Before moving to Iowa, he coached at Los Angeles Lutheran Jr/Sr High School in Sylmar, California. He lives in Charter Oak with his wife Bethany and their three daughters.

Tractor virgin's first harvest

My brother-in-law Mark was up for the weekend to help with harvest and asked if I was game for becoming his "Jedi Padawan-Apprentice Learner." Guess after living in Iowa for 10 years it was about time I pitched in. For those of you not from Iowa, consider this photo essay a quick lesson in harvesting corn.

The transfer- This is easiest when you can just park and let the combine empty his tank into your wagon. One of the biggest challenges was learning how to drive along side the combine and let him empty-on-the-go. I have a whole new respect for pilots of refueling tankers! "Too close, no no no, too far, slow down, hurry up hurry up, now ya got it, easy, easy..."

This experience REALLY made me see why Iowa farmers played such a vital role in the armed forces in WWII, they're pilots, mechanics, machinists, and engineers all at once. They coordinate their movements and constantly judge spacial relationships. These guys are all about efficacy. Red necks deserve our respect.

Hauling grain for farmers is hard in the daylight with steep hills, terraces, and mazes through the corn- but in the dark, everything is harder to judge and difficult to find. I slipped out of gear a couple of times, had to pop it into gear a few times, popped a few wheelies, started rolling down a hill and had a near miss with the combine at least once. I have a whole new respect not just for farmers and haulers, but for guys that run tractor pulls too. But most of all, I have a lot more respect for my father-in-law and how he doesn't like to keep harvesting much past dark where lots of other farmers keep going all night. It's a bear, lemme tell ya.

This maneuver is called the "double-cross." It is rare and a bad sign. It's when two combines need to unload into the same wagon. This night it happened because it took me 4 passes to line up my wagon with the auger- it was a narrow bath between bins. Meanwhile, my nephew and his cousin were having trouble with the ignition on the other tractor and couldn't back out from the other bin/auger.

Mark empties the gravity-wagon into the auger. This wagon holds 440 bushels. That's 14,080 Quarts to we laymen. 42 lbs per bushel is about average according to ask.com, Mark said this was approximately 50 lb per bushel. Either way, each wagon load is around 10 TONS of corn.

Corn Time

Grandfather's Whiskers

Late at night, in the cool November breeze, the grandfather whiskers make Grandfather want to sneeze. Here's some more boke (暈け or ボケ) imagery- this time very Midwestern and autumnal- tall grass late at night. Eerie and ethereal.

Pray for our troops and our vets

Those of us who haven't served in Iraq or Afghanistan have no idea what it's really like. Having your gun malfunction, the constant threat, the constant stench, placing bodies in plastic bags for removal...

I guess I've been thinking about this a lot lately, with a few current students enlisted already or considering signing with the National Guard, and scores of former students in the Guard or other branches of the military.

I was reminded of it again when President Obama gave a speech last month at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.

"Your dedication to duty is humbling. Your love of country is inspiring. The American people thank you for your service. We honor you for your sacrifices. And just as you have fulfilled your responsibilities to your nation, your nation will fulfill its responsibilities to you.

That's the message that I offered to the inspiring Gold Star families I met with a few moments ago-families who have made the ultimate sacrifice and whom we honor. And that's the message I bring to you and all our forces, families and veterans-around Jacksonville and across America.

You've made the most profound commitment a person can make-to dedicate your life to your country. And perhaps give your life for it. So as your commander-in-chief, here's the commitment I make to you."

Many of us share his sentiments. No matter how divided we were on the Bush Administration's policies in Iraq, we are can remain united in our unwavering care and concern for our service men and women and their families.

I take Luke 14:25-33 very seriously. Remember the concerns about "mission drift" and "nation building" when the U.S. committed troops to the U.N. action in Kosovo to help end the Serbian genocide of Muslim Croats in the former Yugoslavia? I sure remember Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld deflecting questions about managing the aftermath and rebuilding of Iraq after combat would end, before the invasion in February and March of 2003.

That's why I so appreciated when the President said,

"...while I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this-and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan:

I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way. I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we will back you up. Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, the defined goals and the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That's the promise I make to you."

I don't care what you think of health care reform or stimulus packages, you can oppose the President with every breath you take- he shouldn't risk their lives unless it is necessary and they do deserve clear goals and adequate equipment. Even if you don't trust him to keep the promise, you can not disagree that it's a promise they deserve.

We've been in Afghanistan for eight years now and we still haven't caught Osama bin Laden. Some think he's dead. There are some who argue that we should get out of Afghanistan because most of the Al Queda forces we're pursuing are already in Pakistan instead. Some think we can't leave until we're absolutely certain that the Taliban can not return to power, others say that the Taliban was never our target, Al Queda was.

So we are at a decisive moment, some of us want a troop surge in Afghanistan, some of us want a long deserved standing-down of all U.S. troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile the President seems to be weighing both options and some balance in between.

And then came the tragedy at Fort Hood. Like everyone else, I was shocked and sickened. And when I read about Major Nidal Malik Hasan, I was saddened. Maybe because he is my age, but mostly because as an Army psychiatrist it was his job to listen to the stories of and counsel dozens of veterans returning from service who experienced Hell on Earth, many of whom suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And too because he felt harassed by his fellow soldiers because of his political opposition to the wars and because of his religion.

Don't think for a minute that I excuse what he did- it was heinous, cowardly, truly inexplicable and ultimately inexcusable. At best it was terribly misguided, selfish and counter-productive to the causes he claimed to stand for. At worst it was plainly evil.

But it should bring our attention to the true spoils of war, the spiritual, social and emotional putrefaction that leads to such psychological break down.

It should make us pause and take to heart Luke 14:25-33 before we resort to military force, and do so only with the somber grief and caution of an Abraham Lincoln, and not the zeal and enthusiasm of a Kaiser Wilhelm II. What's more, I don't think that there is any shame or dishonor in re-evaluating and reconsidering why we're in any war, or how we prosecute said war.

Unlike Iraq, we entered Afghanistan with no controversy or disagreement. Terrorists trained and harbored in Afghanistan attacked us on our own soil. Though not Afghanistan itself or even her own people (most members of Al Queda were Saudi). President Obama called it a "war of necessity."

Be that as it may, American men and women are dying there every month and enduring experiences which will haunt them their entire lives. They are being torn from their families and careers. We need to support them whether or not we support our government's sending them into harm's way. We need to support them whether we love or loath their Commander in Chief. And we need to support them and their families in thought, word, and deed, not just in word only.

Please pray for our troops and their families. 2010 will see the largest single call-up of Iowa National Guard units since World War II. Some will be 18 year -olds, others will be 40 year-olds. Many on their first tour of duty, and many on their fifth or sixth deployment. But don't just pray for our active-duty soldiers- remember to pray for our veterans too. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, First Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghan veterans (and their families) need to know that we value them, that we are grateful for their sacrificial service.

Here are some ways that you can make a difference:

• There are 27,600 living vets just in Iowa. Consider writing a thank you card to one of the veterans at the Iowa Veteran's Home, 1301 Summit St. Marshalltown, IA 50158.
• Remember to buy a poppy to support the VFW and American Legion
• Visit www.supportsiouxlandsoldiers.com and help them provide for troops and their families. Adopt a family this holiday season.
• Consider supporting the United Service Organizations (USO) at http://www.uso.org
• Most of all, pray for our troops and our vets. Challenge yourself to pray for them everyday between Veteran's Day (November 11) and Thanksgiving.
• Wear black to work or school on Thursday, November 12, in honor of the victims and families effected by the Fort Hood massacre.
• Observe a moment of silence and pray for peace at 11 AM on Veteran's Day (11-11-1911).
• And no matter how you voted, pray for President Obama, that God would help him keep the promises he made at Jacksonville last month and that God would guide all of his decision making, but especially as Commander in Chief.

More color

Aloe in color

Aloe there

I don't know beans

She wants to be a farmer. I wonder about that because she'd rather read or cook or play video games than rake or weed or clean. I tell her that if she's serious she has to downright nag her grandfather into letting her tag along with him and learn and help. But we keep her busy. There's 4H and piano lessons and confirmation and the counselor on Thursday nights.

Besides her cousin who's a year and a half older is always out at the farm. He's a boy and has always been out at the farm his whole life. I don't want to be sexist and think that she can't farm just because she's a girl. Girls can farm. But I'm a suburban "city slicker" transplant myself, I know exactly squat about farming. Whereas my nephew was pretty much bred and intentionally conditioned, even programmed deliberately for farming. That was his father's heart and very soul. If it's not his destiny to fulfill his father's dreams, we will all be bewildered.

So I feel somewhat inadequate when it comes to helping this 10 year old girl attain her own dream of someday becoming a farmer. Sometimes I can write it off as inconsequential because how many "dreams" do little kids have. When I was seven I wanted to be a farmer, and a cowboy, and a fireman, a baseball player and a rock star. Surely next week she'll want to be an astronaut or a veterinarian or something else, right? Except that she's said that she wants to be a farmer when she grows up for almost two years now.

Am I being sexist? Am I being a realist? It's difficult to make a living as a family farmer, nearly impossible. Female farmers are not unheard of, but they certainly are rare. Would that make it more of an uphill battle? Do I want to encourage her or protect her from potential failure? Is that like the parents who discouraged their daughters from becoming lawyers and scientists because those were male dominated fields? Would it be like the parent that doesn't think of themselves as racist, but would discourage their child from marrying someone with a different skin color because they know the racism and opposition that they will have to endure from society as a couple?

I don't know. I just know that I can't help her because I don't even know how to drive a tractor, let alone use one to pull a gravity wagon, let alone operate a combine. I am virtually clueless when it comes to markets and yields and moisture tests and using augers to load grain into bins.

But I knew that her younger two sisters and both of her cousins had gotten to ride along with my father-in-law in his combine this fall, as well as in tractors with various uncles and cousins. And I knew that she was due.

But we would be late. I lost track of time at school and had completely forgotten that I needed to pick her up from church after Confirmation class. I picked her up 20 minutes late. They told us that the men were working at the "upper place." I've lived here for nine years and I still don't remember where that is.

I drove into a field uphill from my in-law's farm. Empty, and bare. They were done here. Obviously, "upper" must not mean up-hill, it must mean East or North. I headed for another farm which I knew he rented, on the other side of the town's cemetery.

I didn't get to the end of the section, I turned North a mile too soon. It was dark and I only ever go there maybe twice a year.

When I had gotten half way up the lane I knew it was the wrong place because the combines were red instead of green.

I felt embarrassed and just started backing up instead of coming onto the place and turning around. That's when one wheel dipped onto the grass on the edge of the culvert and we were stuck. All we could do is spin, just like snow.

Fortunately the farmer had a chain and pulled us out. But, by the time we finally made it to the right bean field they were done.

So first Grace was scared because it was dark and we were lost and then stuck. Now she was ticked because she got gypped out of her ride with her Grandpa. I hate it when she cries. Oh well, there's sure plenty of corn to harvest, kid.

I just hope that either we can somehow give her what she'll need to make her dreams come true, or that she'll catch some other dream. Meanwhile, I wish I could afford a four-wheel drive vehicle and I should really consider asking for a GPS device for Christmas. And meanwhile she need to continue to work on her grades at school so that she can go to college someday, whether she ends up farming or not. One thing's for sure, I don't know beans about it.

cheer sig

Buttons

Apparently Yahoo discontinued their geocities web hosting service and when they did- lots of my graphics went with it. So... I pretty much need to rebuild all my blogs and store these graphics somewhere new. May as well be here at blogger anyway. Please excuse my mess as I remodel!