Dad Andy Attends Consecration

Last Sunday Andy, along with his neighbors Gayle and Michael Folkerts, went to Covington to be among friends at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd as their Bishop of the Atlanta Diocese consecrated their beautful new sanctuary, baptismal font, lecturn, pulpit, and altar. June, alas, didn't have the opportunity to attend because she and her daughter Becky were on their way home from Florida, having disembarked from their cruise ship earlier in the morning. Since spending more time in Georgia in the past two years, June and Andy have come to appreciate the parish priest, Fr. Tim Graham and many in the congregation. To show our appreciation, Andy commissioned the two icons that have been installed in the narthex. If you come to visit June and Andy in Georgia and are with them on a Wednesday or Sunday (when the Eucharist is offered), you'll be invited to come and see the church. To see more of the consecration, visit the slideshow!

I got to meet Charlie Seabrook!

While at the Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center this morning (see the previous posting), someone rather famous among the birding community showed up, a quietly impressive gentleman: Charlie Seabrook, well-known columnist for the Atlantic Journal Constitution. Charlie is the national environmental reporter, the man behind the popular "Wild Georgia" column. His newspaper stories about Georgia's mining industry won the Investigative Reporters and Editors "Best Story of the Year aware in 1994. In 2001 the State of Georgia gave him the R. L. "Rock" Howard Award, its highest conservation prize. Just to stand next to this great man and have him put his arm on my shoulder was a real sign of his marvelous generosity. Let's hope Georgia has many more like Charlie!

If you'd like to read one of his latest columns, visit "Got spring fever? Try a nature walk," a good sampling of the kind of writing Charlie does so well.

A Week Not So Alone

While June and her daughter Becky are on a Caribbean cruise this week, I not able to have gone to Haiti (see the prior post), have spent a good part of this week by myself at the lakehouse. Well, not always by myself. This morning I went to the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center for a "Spring Migratory Birk Walk" with Tim Keyes (on the right) as our ornithologist. It was just great; we saw or heard sixty-six different kinds of birds, including a summer tanager, a kingfisher, and an osprey catching a braem on the wing. If that weren't enough, I got to meet Rusty Pritchard, the editor of Creation Care: A Christian Environmental Quartery, to which I have subscribed for several yeares. Rustry is on the left with his two boys, Angus and Euan. In the Spring 2006 issue, Tim has written "It's a Frog's Life: The songs of frogs are an early promise of spring." Couldn't have prayed for a nicer day!

I've placed a link to Creation Care at my other blog, Praying Daily.

Katie comes to the lake!

As many of you may already know, my trip to Haiti, originally scheduled for April 10-17, was cancelled because Christian Flights International thought it too risky to go right now. During the past two weeks, there has been considerable civil unrest throughout the island, so much so that the pilots working for Missionary Air Flights (who fly us into the hinterland near Ranquitte) have decided it's too dangerous to land their planes in certain areas, including the grassfield landing at Pignon. Those of us who were planning to go (Lutheran Pastors Ron Luckey and Barry Neese, along with Dr. Greg McMorrow) will try again in July or August. So that she would not be along at the lake while I was supposed to be gone, June had made arrangements for her daughter Becky and herself to take a week-long cruise in the Caribbean. The two of them "set sail" yesterday. Not expecting me to be at the lakehouse, Lisa, Katie, and Tim had planned to spend the weekend in Georgia and decided to come even though I would still be tromping around the house. I'm so glad they came! We did a bit of boating, tippled a small bottle wine, chatted lots, washed diapers, stir-fried veggies on the grill and pan-fried some salmon. Just a great time! On Sunday Katie got a wee bit ill, throwing up twice, but by this morning she was back to her eight-month self, all smiles, except for when Lisa tried to take a picture of her on my shoulders. She just wouldn't "mug-it-up." She really is something! And I love her!

For more information about Haiti, visit my other blog: http://www.prayingdaily.blogspot.com/.

Chelsea Sets Model High School Track Record!

On Friday, March 28, Chelsea ran the 100 meter hurdles and set Model High School Girl's Track record at 16.5 seconds. As the fastest runner on her team in many events, Chelsea, one of the finest sophomore athletes Model has ever known, practices hard, runs hard, sprints hard, and wins!

In addition to running on Model's spring-term track team, Chelsea also runs cross-country in the fall; and she plays beautiful classical piano and a hot clarinet. She's not only an excellent student academically and socially, Chelsea also represents her Lord Jesus in an exemplary fashion. May God bless her for her dedication to all that she does!

Everyone in her whole family is so proud of her!

More of Katie from Lisa and Tim

Some of you have not seen this kiddo in a while, at least in cyberspace, so here you go! Love, Lisa and Tim!

The newest of Katie

Lisa sends these two of Katie for your pleasure and enjoyment. Does she look terrific or what?

This just in from Kirk!

Hey, Family!

Here are some pics of Madalyn's Junior Cotillion Dance from last Saturday at Hillwood Country Club, Nashville, TN. Madalyn has been attending the Junior Cotillion classes for several months and has done quite well in the program.

Best, Kirk

Supporting McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center, in Chattanooga

Yesterday Lisa sent out an all-points bulletin asking for us to support the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center in Chattanooga. On the steps to the front door, Coleman and Truman are looking for replies.

If didn't get a request from Lisa and would like to support the work of the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center, visit her Fundraising Page by using the link below and help her reach her personal goal by making a secure online donation today... https://owa.eku.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=86b1d734689e4052a08280b3dca9e6bd&URL=http%3a%2f%2fmy.e2rm.com%2fpersonalPage.aspx%3fSID%3d1697733

Kirk in India

This in yesterday from Kirk: "Today I walked barefoot on the cool white marble floors of the Taj Mahal." Let's hope we all get a Taj-Mahal-with- some-Swaheli-proverbs magnet for our refrigerators! Come home soon, son!

Andy recommends The Pillars of the Earth

For the past week Andy has been reading Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth. Here's an appreciative review by Suzanne Cross posted at http://www.amazon.com/:

I've never been a fan of Follett, and picked this book up with some misgivings - anyone these days can try to do an "historical" novel with some quick sex, some fake archaic new-speak, and a TV-movie-miniseries concept of history. While there are some minor flaws in this book, its sweep, characterization, tensions, and love of its subject are simply riveting. I could not put the darned thing down and have lost sleep for a week compulsively page-turning. Follett, unbelievably, seems to have made little splash with this book when it first came out - more shame to the critics who missed a "Gone With the Wind" from a conventional thriller author.

His primary strength in the book is his magnificent characters. By the end, Prior Phillip, Aliena, Jack, Richard, "Witch" Ellen, William of Hamleigh, Waleran Bigod, and a host of supporting characters are as real as people you know. Their strengths and weaknesses feel as sound as earth. I've just reached the part where the Cathedral is finished, and its magnificent image, built in love, hardship, and devotion, colors the whole book like light through stained glass. And I suspect the ending will be as immensely "right" as the entire rest of the book in its proportion in spinning out complicated human lives and emotions.

Follett manages to write of an age of religious devotion without tumbling into the two pits - making fun of medieval Christian faith, or uncritically adopting it. An IMMENSELY satisfying read.

I could quibble with what I feel is some gratuitous sex, some slightly contrived plot twists, but that's like complaining about some flotsam in the river as you're going over Niagara.

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK if you love wonderful story-spinning and history. Well done, Mr. Follett!

Adam celebrates his twenty-first birthday!

It's been quite a week in Georgia. On Saturday, a few days after Adam's birthday on February 11, Wayne and Becky took Abigail, Adam, June and Andy out to lunch at the Buckhead Diner, a really neat eatery. Great time--and Adam had another among his many "firsts": a margaritta! On Friday, June and Andy saw The Great Debaters, and on Valentine's Day they went out for supper at The Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle. All in all, a great week!

Brunch at the Galt House

This morning Art, Liz, Cheerie and Dave Bultman, and we Kentucky Harnacks shared a wonderful brunch at the Galt House in Louisville. Andy and Dave, both of whom lived near each other in Indianapolis during the mid 50s, had not seen one another for fifty-five years! And--wonder of wonders!--neither one of us looks any older than when we were fifteen or so, heading off to different high schools. Even our life histories have much in common as we found out. Most importantly, it looks as though all six of us may have found so much in common that we'll be spending some time together later this spring and hopefully during the summer at the lakehouse. Thanks so much, Art and Liz, for bringing us together!

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!