Retrospective: Adam and his buddy

A few days before Christmas Adam and his buddy Ellie came over to the lakehouse to get their picture taken as a gift to his parents, Becky and Wayne. This photo gives you a good idea as to how well behaved the four-footed Ellie could be. But moments after the pose, he was off to the lake, splashing in the cove waters, dashing in and out, getting thoroughly wet. Adam kept yelling, "Here, Ellie, Ellie, Elllie!" That pooch sure has Adam well trained at yelling!

Retrospective Christmas 2007

I'm a good bit behind in posting this lovely picture of Chelsea holding her five-month-old niece, Katie, at Amy and Kevin's home. The two of them--aunt and niece--sure look good together, and Katie is so fascinated with Chelsea's fingernails. Let's hope the two of them get to see lots of each other in the years to come.

We all had such a good time with the whole family gathered in Nashville!

Christmas at Amy and Kevin's Home

December 30, 2007: The First Sunay after Christmas (and the Fifth Day of Christmas)

Last night June, Chelsea, and Andy returned to Kentucky after a ten-day stint in Georgia and Tennessee for the tail end of Advent and the beginnings of Christmastide. Making the rounds of various churches to which members of our extended family belong, we worshipped at First Baptist Church in Barnesville, Georgia, saw a good bit of spectacle at mega Rock Springs Church in Milner, Georgia, participated in a quietly beautiful Communion at First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia. While non of these parishes considers itself liturgical in any traditional or historical sense of the word, each one in its own way (although all are Baptist) celebrated the Birth of Christ with reverence, a strong need to share the Gospel, and inspired singing.

June's side of our family met together at the lakehouse on Christmas Day (pictures forthcoming!), and Andy's side met at Amy and Kevin's home on December 28 (Amy, thank you for all the hard work and hospitality!); then most of us met again the next morning for a terrific brunch at Lora and Kirk's home, just a day before (that's today!) they're flying to Cancun for a well-deserved rest.

All of our family gatherings were especially wonderful--really!

The Granny Greene Thanksgiving Reunion

We do it every year! On Thanksgiving weekend, we get as many descendents and relatives of Granny Greene together as possible. Then the men play golf on the Friday after Thanksgiving while some of the women to shopping on "Black Friday." Then on Saturday we get together for great food and games. Our thanks to Tom Lowery for taking the photo!

Miss Tennessee!

She wiggles, she burps, and then she looks at you with those beautiful eyes. Yes, it's Miss Katherine Elise Simonds, now almost four months old. Isn't she a beaut?

The Family at Thanksgiving

On the Sunday before just before Thanksgiving, the Harnacks, Kuhns, and Simonds got together at The Chattagnoogan for a terrific chamgaine brunch with the grandkids. Our thanks to Lisa and Tim for making the reservations. And a b ig round of applause for everyone who drove in for the gathering! What a wonderful setting for a small family reunion, and as you can see from the post-brunch photo, we're looking forward to next year's get-together.

Chelsea -- A Champion Crossrunner

For several months this fall, Chelsea has been running with Model Laboratory School's cross-country team and doing exceptionally well in all nine difficult races. Practicing after school four days a week, Chelsea runs smoothly and beautifully. During the State Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park, Model came in seventh among some fifty schools, and Chelsea ran her personal best for the 3.1 miles (5k) at 21.20. Watch out for her this spring when she goes out for track. She can really burn up the quarter-mile in 4x400. Way to go, Chelsea!

The Mountains Beyond: A Presentation on Haiti

Last evening on St. Andrew's Day, Pastor Luckey and I introduced about a hundred or so members of Faith Lutheran Church to the work of Christian Flights International in Haiti. With real Haitian coffee and delicious fruits sprinkled with coconut-sugar made by Mama in Ivy Solomon's home, everyone got a very good introductory feel as to what it's like to live in Haiti and how we as Christians might provide witness to the kingdom of God making itself manifest among the people of Ranquitte, a small mountain village in northeastern Haiti. Right now several of us are planning to go again to Haiti, sometime in mid-April after Easter. If in your resurrected life you'd like to visit Ranquitte and return a person in love with Haiti, let me know. And if you wish to love the Haitian people now and from this day forward, please include them and the missionary folks of Christian Flights International in your prayers and intercessions. Thanks.

Katie Elise Harnack says, "Hello, family!"

Good morning, Katie! Little Katie, the daughter of Lisa and Tim Simonds, was born on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, shortly after 5:00 a.m. Weighing 4.11 pounds, she--and her mom (Tim is a mess!) are doing well, thanks ever so much for the loving care of Carol, Katie's grandmother, a wonderful nurse. Katie and Lisa will be staying at Erlanger Medical Center for the rest of the week. When you get a chance, offer God a prayer of thanksgiving and then give Katie a phone call! We're all so happy for you--Lisa, Tim, and Katie! As you can see from this photo that Tim took right after the delivery, we have a beautiful new girl in our family!

Peeing and Pooping Again

For three now we been not going to the bathroom (Yeah! Right!), and now today we can go again, thanks to Best Septic Tank--Tony and John--who have replaced our old field tile with a brand new system of pipes. Now all we have to do is throw out the corn cobs, go to WalMart and get some toilet paper!

Having returned from our family reunion, this year at Dauphin Island, I'm delighted that our family has been able to keep itself together. It's a real effort to gather everyone together because we are so separated geographically and at times spiritually. In spite of--or at times, I think, because of--our differences, the blood of us Harnacks runs thick and deep. As paterfamilias, I'm so privileged to have such a wonderful bunch of kids, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. O yes, we argue a good bit (mostly about politics), but in the end there's always the huggings, the looking forward to seeing one another again, and the prayers that sustain us in our variety and differences. Some of us are politically conservative (yea, a libertarian!), others are liberal (listening, of all things, to NPR!), and others largely a-political. But in blood, and I like to think, in the blood of Christ, we are a real family. One, Carol, comes with enormous forgiveness in heart, and her presence is the light of Christ among us. Others come with professional preoccupations, overloads of work that don't disappear even on vacation times. Still others come as precious children, innocent of our family's history, but eager and willing to be lilke the children about whom Jesus says "are of the kingdom of God." For all who came to this year's week-long reunion, I give heartfelt thanks to God for their presence, their determination to keep the tradition going, and their holding of hands in prayer and in grace before our meals. It's all quite wonderful!

Back from Ranquitte, Haiti

On the day before Thanksgiving Andy got back from his trip to Haiti, where he went to the village of Ranquitte with Dr. Ray Jackson, a local ER physician. The trip was an eye-opener. Although Andy knew that Haiti was the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, he had little real understanding as to how desperately poor the Haitian people are. When the pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," they genuinely know what they ask God for--the next meal. Andy went with a group of seven affliliated with Christian Flights International. Jennifer kept a journal that you may wish to look over at our new CFI blog. For Andy, meeting Per (Father) Andre was the highlight of the trip; Andy and Father Andre, the local Roman Catholic priest in Ranguitte at the Church of St. Francis, have become good friends. Not only does Fr. Andre lead his Haitian people in a wonderfully joyous daily Eucharist, he also works as a day laborer repairing the damage that erosion does to the worn-out roads. Andy also became friends with Honore Roger, a carpenter (who made the doors in front of which he stands) and lay Seventh-Day-Adventist lay preacher. Roger has asked Andy to find him a French-language History of Christianity (If you have a copy, tell Andy right away!). In the next few days Andy will post more pictures showing you the poverty, beauty, and faith of the Haitian people.

The Greene Family Reunion, Thanksgiving, 2006

This weekend over forty of the far-flung extended Greene family came to Barnesville for their annual family reunion. Carol Patrick did an absolutely terrific job planning the whole affair. The men played golf on Friday while many of the women shopped. Then on Saturday we all got together at First Baptist Church for scrumptous food, fun games, and lot of hugs. Tom Lowry took this picture and his wife April sent it to us; as with lots of photographers who stand back to click the shutter, Tom's not in it. Thanks for taking this great photograph, Tom!

Yesterday Chelsea ran her best personal 5k at Masterson Park in Lexington: 23 minutes, 16 seconds. During the race she was in considerable pain, pain in both of her lower ribsides. So proud of her! Later in the afternoon I took her to a party at First Baptist Church where with some of her friends they played cards and went to Starbucks afterwards. Before going to bed, June, Chelsea, and I prayed for Harold and for the people of Dafur. Then we turned our clocks back an hour and went to bed.

Welcome into the Family, Truman!

Lisa sent these pictures to us yesterday. Truman is the newest addition to Lisa and Tim's family. And Coleman, Lisa's best friend for many years, has someone to play with and take care of--and, well, teach this little fella a few tricks. Andy forgot to ask what sort of dog Truman is. We don't even know if Truman is potty-trained. But from the sound of the name, we're sure he must be a Democrat. Good for you, Truman.

Chelsea runs at the Kentucky Horse Park

On Saturday, September 30, Chelsea--with her Model Lab's High School Cross-Country Team--ran 3.1 km at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was a gruelling race; the fields were soaked after a night's rain, the hills were long, and some were steep. Chelsea eats, thinks, and trains as a real athlete. We're so proud of her! .

Carol and Hugh Sit on the New Deck!

Just before we left Georgia to return to Kentucky, Carol and Hugh came over for supper. It was then that they got to see the deck for the first time. After eating supper, we all came to sit outside and enjoy the two new red Adirondeck chairs that Becky bought for us. Here Carol is sitting in one; Andy has gone down the stairs to take the picture.Yes, I know you can't see them well, but that's the point. The new deck is huge! This photo of Carol, Hugh, and June sitting on the top-level decl was taken from the mid-level deck. And taken just so you can get some idea as to how nice it is. So nice that there's a lower-level deck that you can see in this photo. On his next trip down to the lake, Andy plans to take a panorama picture of all three levels by getting up on the roof, aiming his camera down, and catching the whole business in all its glory.

June and Andy sing 'Happy Birthday" to Bobbie Foster

We just had to do it! On September 21, we drove down to Georgia so we could say "Happy Birthday" to Bobbie Foster, June's dear friend who celebrated her 80th birthday. What a good time! Bobbie's daughter made sure it was a great big splash with lots of friends, lots of food, and plenty of photographs of Bobbie. Wow, she was good-looking when she was eighteen, and even more lovely and beautiful now. We wish you many more B days, Bobbie!

Harold: In and Out of Emory Hospital; Doing Fine!

Experiencing some abdominal pain, two weeks ago Harold drove himself up to and checked himself into Atlanta's Emory University Hospital. After about five days, he was feeling much better (talk to him yourself if you want to the details), drove himself home, and is now back to his daily rounds of walks, breakfast at Hardy's, and visiting garage sales. What you see is his underwear! Because the check-in to Emory was on quick notice, Harold didn't bring a trunk full of clothing. After a day or so, he washed his own underwear, hung it up to dry in the window, and then proudly displayed it--so nice and clean--for all to see in his room. Resourceful!

September 3: Carole and Hugh's Wedding Anniversary

Today is Carole and Hugh's wedding anniversary. On the phone they told us that they celebrated their long and cherished marriage all weekend, especially today at church which was full of singing and high praises to the heavenly Father who brought them together years ago. We all wish them many more years of happy love!