Author: William Douthwaite

Posted in Christmas

Be the Christmas card

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday, I took down and packed away the Christmas tree, decorations, lights, and other Christmas-y knick-knacks. Before tossing them, I glanced through this year’s stack of Christmas cards and noticed, as I usually do, the conspicuous absence of Jesus. Two of the twenty cards we received portrayed the infant Jesus. One made a reference to “him,” as in, “O Come Let Us Adore Him.” The rest were picture collages of families.

I’ve written about this before in my posts “I got more religious cards this year,” “Uh-oh. Jesus seems to be missing,” and “Would you send a secular Christmas card to your pastor?”

As I reflected on this year’s mail, I realized that these really aren’t Christmas cards. The photos show how much the family has grown. More detailed letters list the year’s adventures, joys, and blessings. They are annual reports. And that’s OK.

We sent out letters in cards this year for the first time since I don’t know when. Everyone’s life was displayed on social media, so annual reports seemed redundant. But we’ve got a lot of new friends, we’re spending a lot less time on social media, and we want to cultivate connections in our retirement years, so we got them all in the mail just in time for Christmas.

Anyway, the place you want the world to see Jesus isn’t on the front of a card (or a billboard, a bumper sticker, or t-shirt). Since we have “put on Christ,” others will see him in the way we act and speak, in the way that we treat and help others, and when we forgive. Don’t send a Jesus-Christmas card. Be the Jesus-Christmas card!

Posted in Bloganuary

What colleges have you attended?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Today’s WordPress Bloganuary prompt is “What colleges have you attended?”

I got my undergraduate degree from Franklin and Marshall College (F&M) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. F&M is a small liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,000 when I attended. All the professors were Ph.D’s, and the college offered no graduate programs.

My high school physics teacher, Nick Ignatuk, really pushed his alma mater, which is why I applied to F&M. I chose it over Bucknell and Penn State because they offered me more financial aid.

When I graduated high school in 1975, only about half the class went on to college. The rest got jobs, having completed a business curriculum or learned a trade. Since I graduated near the top of my class and was accepted by a competitive school, I had an inflated opinion of my academic prowess.

The rest of the freshman class at F&M had also finished near the top of their class. I was blessed with a healthy dose of humility as I began my classes. Many of my classmates were pre-med and pre-law, and they were smart and motivated. Everyone in my Calculus 2 class had skipped Calculus 1 with AP credit. Some guy in my European Studies class used the word ennui when describing slides of ancient ruins. I still don’t know what he was talking about. After failing the Chemistry midterm, my pre-med friends tearfully dropped the class and changed their major to Biology. Pre-law classmates in my dorm changed their majors when the government midterm got the best of them. The first basic accounting test knocked some of my friends on their butt. This was the real deal.

I had good high school teachers, but my college professors were off the charts. They were brilliant, eccentric, and published. Most had written the book we had to buy for the class.

I received a good education, but as I’ve written before, I learned more at the college radio station, in the band, and from fraternity life.

After I graduated and started my first job at Bell Labs, I was encouraged to pursue my master’s degree in electrical engineering. From the Asbury Park, NJ, area, I commuted to Rutgers in New Brunswick a few times a week and took a couple of electrical circuits classes. The professor didn’t really captivate the hundred-person lecture hall. And my heart really wasn’t in it. I did so-so, and then moved to Texas.

A few years later, I attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN. I got my M.Div. there and began a new career in full-time pastoral ministry. My classmates at seminary were from all over the country and a variety of backgrounds. Some students had relocated with a house full of kids. Others were right out of college pre-seminary programs. At least half were second career like me.

My seminary professors were amazing, brilliant, and well-published, too. They also really cared about the students, their families, and their faith. The faculty made it possible for us to not only graduate, but serve in parishes all over the world.

Posted in garden, Life

Winter tomatoes

Posted on by William Douthwaite

After trying several varieties, I’ve had the most success growing cherry tomatoes in my raised gardens. Five vines filled the chicken wire cages I built to keep the squirrels out and produced dozens of cherry tomatoes.

Since those gardens were on the side of the house, they received enough shade to survive a Florida summer. I was still harvesting tomatoes well into October from a March planting. I was going to buy and plant new ones in the fall for the second growing season. Instead, I cut off some of the fullest branches, stripped leaves from the bottom half, and replanted them in the soil. They took root and grew beyond the confines of the cage itself. In mid-December, the vines were covered with small green tomatoes. On January 1, I harvested a nice crop for our first salads of the new year.

Unless we happen to get a freeze, I’m looking forward to many more.

I’m thrilled with my winter tomatoes for several reasons. First, it’s hard to find good tomatoes any time of the year in Florida. The ones in the store are some kind of coral color without much taste. These were red, ripe, and delicious,

Second, I didn’t have to buy these plants. I was able to start new vines from cuttings. So they were free. Kind of.

Third, picking tomatoes in January is like thumbing your nose at winter. I know, we don’t really get winter in Florida. But when the temps drop into the thirties, unpleasant memories of bitterly cold winters resurface. All I have to do is pop a tomato in my mouth, and all that goes away.

Posted in Christmas, noticing

Look who showed up

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon is also called the frequency illusion or recency bias. It’s a label for those times in life when something you’ve learned or talked about suddenly shows up everywhere.

For example, let’s say you’ve been talking with your about buying a new car. When you’re driving to work the next day, every other car on the road seems to be the make and model you discussed.

Or, you’ve been debating whether or not to get a smart watch. You stop by the store and it seems like everyone has one on their wrist.

How about when you learn a new word, and suddenly you notice it everywhere? It’s in the books and articles you read. It’s pops up in conversations.

One person you’ll see a lot of in December is Santa Claus. Though he faces stiff competition from the Grinch and other wintery characters, he’s the guy everyone wants to see on the float at the end of parade.

So I’m sitting in bible class at my son’s church last Sunday. I glance over and see this guy sitting there. My wife just rolled her eyes when I leaned over and said, “Look who’s here!” I don’t blame him for looking tired. He’s got his work cut out for him each Christmas Eve. After the worship service prelude, he sat down and played a beautiful arrangement of “Joy to the World.”

Speaking of Christmas Eve, I sat behind a gentleman at the candlelight service. He also had a long, bushy white beard and longish gray hair tied back in a pony tail. I leaned over the said to my daughter, “Isn’t he supposed to be working tonight?” She giggled and an elbow to my side made me straighten up for the rest of the service.

I like to imagine Santa doing everyday things between Christmases. I hope he gets to go out for supper and try new cuisine, get to some sporting events and concerts, and a movie.

Keep an eye out. I’ll bet you start seeing him more often now!

Posted in Christmas, Travel

Holiday at the Arboretum

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Last Friday night, we went to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens with our Texas family. It was chilly, but we really enjoyed the seasonal “Holiday at the Arboretum.”

From what I could see, every tree in the arboretum was wrapped in lights. A Christmas village featured little shops for kids to visit and get treats. The twelve days of Christmas were displayed in gazebos along the garden walkway. Lights on the giant Christmas tree flashed colors and shapes in time with music.

I can’t even imagine what it takes to prepare the gardens for this event. I do remember people hanging lights and setting up gazebos when we were there for the pumpkin displays in October.

The youngest Texas grandchild belts out, “Five golden rings…” about once an hour. All the kids were excited to see the larger-than-life gifts from the song.

My wise son and his wife brought along thermoses of hot chocolate and tea. The Arboretum had vendors charging $8 for a small cup of tea or cider. Yikes! But the weather was cold so the line was long.

It was a great family outing and a great way to continue our Christmas celebration.

Posted in coffee, Travel

Coffee and hot chocolate

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“The espresso machine is having problems today.”

There’s a sentence you don’t want to hear at a coffee shop.

After a cool day trips with a granddaughter, we stopped at Rosalind’s in downtown Garland, TX for an afternoon snack. The girls wanted hot chocolate. I chose a double shot of espresso.

The place was crowded. The shop has recently been remodeled and expanded. Most of the tables were filled with people on laptop computers. The open table we found was right in the middle of it all.

My granddaughter picked out a chocolate chip cookie, and went sat down to wait for our drinks.

The wait was longer than I expected, but finally a barista called my name. As I walked away with two cups, I heard my name again. When I returned to the pick-up counter, the barista whispered, “I’m sorry, but the espresso machine is having problems today.” Uh-oh. No ones to hear that at a coffee shop. I said, “That’s OK, I’ll just have a small coffee.

The hot chocolate was better than expected, too. Topped with frothed milk, it left a great mustache on the drinker’s top lip. My coffee was delicious. I should have asked where they get their beans.

The chocolate chip cookie disappeared in record time, we enjoyed our drinks, and played a table top hook-the-ring game.

When we returned the next day with another granddaughter, we were glad to learn that the espresso machine was up and running,

Garland’s little downtown area looks better every time we come. Businesses have remodeled and reopened shops and street parking is usually full. It’s a cool place to hang out. The population here is diverse. Not many cowboys, but lots of Americans from India, Asia, and Mexico.

Posted in Life

A cafe full of cats

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Our four-year-old granddaughter’s outing of choice was a trip to Whiskers and Soda cat cafe. For the uninitiated, a cat cafe is a room full of cats containing a coffee shop. This one is run by a local animal shelter. Their hope is that you’ll fall in love and take home a cat. I think most people go to get a cat fix because there is no way they are taking one home.

Tables and chairs fill the center of the room, equipped with cat books and puzzles. Snoozing cats surround patrons on beds, blankets, cushions, and shelves up and down the walls. Kittens are in a separate room in the back. When cats want to take a break, they have access to a room locked off from visitors.

Most of the cats were sleeping. A few came over to see us when we came through the door. One cat was watching a video of birds and squirrels at a feeder. Others sat by the front window watching people come and go. Some jumped up on our table to see what we were doing.

I got a nice purr from a calico in a love seat. A gray tiger stripe curled up in my lap when I sat on the floor, and stretched up to rub his face against my beard. All the others ignored me, sleeping, pretending to sleep, or scampering away to the “cats only” room.

My granddaughter and her nine-year-old sister both enjoyed a hour with the cats. There wasn’t much of a cafe other than sodas in a cooler. One family took a kitten home, and we smiled as much as they did.

Posted in Travel

Our first time in a tiny home

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We’ve driven by tiny home and wondered what it would be like to live in one. By definition, a tiny home is one less than 400 square feet, not including loft areas.

I booked an Airbnb tiny home for this year’s Christmas visit with my son in Texas. We’ve stayed in hotels, four bedroom homes, lakeside condos, converted garage efficiencies, and a loft above a horse barn. Once we saw this listing, we knew we had to try it.

It is, in a word, tiny. This one has a 200 square foot footprint with a lofted sleeping area. That’s smaller than our 18×12 patio room. It’s about the same size as my son’s kitchen/dining area.

When we come to visit, we only sleep in a rental. We spend the rest of the time doing stuff with the family. The reader might ask, “Why not stay with them?” With four children, their home is full, so we don’t mind sleeping down the street or around the corner.

This tiny house is parked in a driveway off an alley behind a two-story suburban home. The backyard and driveway are surrounded by an eight foot wooden fence, providing security and privacy.

The bathroom takes up the back four feet. Standard toilet, decent sized shower, miniature sink, shelves for stuff. water drains into a small septic tank in the yard. The water supply comes from a hose from the house. Lots of pressure for nice hot showers. I’m not sure how they run in electric, but we’ve got plenty for the range, space heaters, and a hair dryer.

Kitchen cabinets line the two sides of the home, with drawers for storage as well as a sink, range, and a mini side-by-side refrigerator-freezer. Dishes and condiments all live on open shelves. The front half of the house has a sofa, stacked storage cubes, and a few stools to sit at a small table. A flat screen TV is mounted a bit too high on the wall above a large window.

When we first walked in, it felt so cramped. But after a few nights we’re getting used to it. The stairs to the loft are tricky, especially in the middle of the night. It’s a good way to use space, but you better be agile.

That’s the whole thing. Bathroom is through the door. Bed is up the stairs.

We’ve read stories of people who lived in tiny homes with children for an entire year. I’m not sure how they do it, unless they have an outdoor sitting area and better built-in storage.

But it’s ok (and cheap) for a few days.

Posted in Travel

A sight for traveling eyes

Posted on by William Douthwaite

When we traveled with our children, I would make an airport bingo card to entertain them while we waited in line or at gates. I would think of some of the craziest things someone might wear or carry, and challenge the kids to find those people.

  • A man with a red clown nose
  • Someone in a turban with striped pants
  • Fuzzy slippers
  • Someone with a sharp, pointy nose
  • A woman wearing a tutu

The best part is that we found every single crazy person or outfit we could imagine in the airport! Every single time!

That was twenty-five years ago. Pre 9/11. The things listed above? The rule rather than the exception. the airport is filled with pink and purple hair, tutus, pajamas, dogs and cats, five-inch stiletto heels, thigh high boots, and three-inch long fingernails.

So I was pretty excited when I saw this woman wearing Grinch pajamas on the way to her gate.

Why are airport appearances so different than anywhere else? Why are airports the best place for people watching and photo taking?