Sunday, July 20, 2008

A Maze of Maize

From Yahoo! News:
This recent but undated photo, supplied by Mike Berg, shows a corn maze that Carlene and Duane Schultz are developing on their property in Elva. Wis. The maze, which reads 'thanks' and shows quarteback Brett Favre's upper body holding a football, opens on Sept. 1. Even though Favre's desire to be released from the Green Bay Packers has created a controversy, Carlene Schultz thinks people will still be open to going through the maze.
(AP Photo/Mike Berg)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Divine Power to Demolish Strongholds

Recent news of two friends and a family member who have cancer have made me think of how I respond during times of diversity, especially when it's someone close.

I admit that I am not one to handle such news with a kingdom perspective. I let my earthly, sinful nature take over and allow me to worry, fret and forget that God is in control. I think that is why I so greatly admire Kristin whose husband was diagnosed with liver cancer. Here's one of her daily updates.

We want to ask you all to pray as Ray has his first chemo treatment tonight and over the next two days.

We have had an amazing day. God moved the earth through a few good friends and we were able to have the top GI Cancer doctor at MD Anderson review Ray's case and confer with our doctor here. What we were praying for was agreement or else a clearly superior course. The two doctors agreed that the course our doctor here has outlined is the right course.

Praise the Lord.

This cancer is a fast growing cancer. We did not want to let it grow one second longer and so we are beginning treatment tonight.

The way Ray's body responds to this chemo will determine the success of this treatment.

Here are our prayers: that the chemo would have a dramatic effect on the fast growing cancer cells, that Ray's liver will respond quickly and grow more and more healthy, potentially allowing additional therapies to be added, for Ray's strength and fortitude in fighting this cancer.

Above all this, we continue to pray that God will cure Ray.

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

Thank you for standing with us in this battle.

All of Kristin's subsequent daily updates conclude with a verse, and "Not afraid and not alone." I am in awe of her courage and her faith.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Retire...Reinstate...Backup...Trade...Release

Well, I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't weighed in on the Favre maelstrom. I'm sure nobody cares what my opinion is anyway, but frankly, I have really mixed feelings about the whole situation. I always said he retired a year or two too early. As always, I'm sure there's a lot more to the story than we'll ever know.

Here's an interesting timeline per Packers general manager Ted Thompson that was posted on the Journal Sentinel Inc.'s Packers Blog. As it mentions, this wasn't verified on the Favre side.
The following is a timeline provided by Packers general manager Ted Thompson of the off-season dealings with quarterback Brett Favre. All of the information comes from Thompson and several sources close to Favre did not return phone messages seeking verification of Thompson's account.
  • Jan. 20, 2008 - The Packers lose in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Both Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy speak briefly to Favre before he returns home to Hattiesburg, Miss.
  • Jan. 30 - McCarthy and Favre are both at the Super Bowl media center in Phoenix to collect post-season awards and spent about an hour chatting. The two talk again when McCarthy is at the Pro Bowl in Honolulu and later when McCarthy returns home.
  • Feb. 22 - Sometime during the scouting combine Thompson calls Favre because he had heard reports that the quarterback was mad he hadn't called him. "I called him and he said, 'Well I don't know where you're getting that from, because that's not true.'" Thompson said he reassured Favre he was wanted back and told him McCarthy would be the one communicating with him most often.
  • Feb. 25 - McCarthy calls Favre on trip back from combine and discusses how he might be able to lesson the quarterback's load and whether Favre can commit 100%.
  • Feb. 29 - Favre calls McCarthy and tells him if he had to make a decision now, he would retire. McCarthy tells him to think about it over the weekend and both think Favre will play. "Mike talked to him about, ‘Well, what if we change (reduce) some reps or off-season things' and things like that and he was pretty sure that he wanted to retire."
  • March 3 - Favre calls McCarthy at a function in Austin, Texas, and tells him he's retiring. McCarthy asked if he needed more time and he said no. Favre tells him he can't commit 100%. McCarthy flies back to Green Bay.
  • March 4 - Thompson, McCarthy and public relations director Jeff Blumb are in Thompson's office and Blumb reaches Favre on his cell phone. "Jeff spoke for a few minutes and then I talked to Brett for I don't know, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, something like that. We got to the point where he wanted to go ahead and make the announcement here and then I think Jeff got back on the phone and then they worked it out that he would come up here and do the press conference."
  • March 6 - Favre conducts retirement press conference.
  • Week of March 24 - Offensive line coach James Campen, who is visiting Louisiana, stops in to see Favre at his Mississippi home and is asked by Favre whether he thinks the Packers would take him back. Campen reports the conversation to McCarthy and Thompson. McCarthy calls Favre and hears the same things Campen did.
  • March 27 - Thompson and McCarthy decide they would be fine with Favre returning even though Aaron Rodgers is set to begin off-season workouts as the starter, and they inform Favre. "Mike said, ‘Ted and I talked and we said, fine.' But we'd like to come see you, and Brett was kind of excited that we were coming to see him." In preparation to leave for the owners meetings in West Palm Beach, March 30-April 3, they arrange to meet with Favre and wife, Deanna.
  • March 29 - McCarthy makes plans to fly to Hattiesburg on April 1 to make plans for Favre's return. McCarthy is leaving for evening Mass when Favre calls to inform him he has changed his mind. "We were all set for them, but Brett called back and that he and Deanna had a long talk about it and they were going to stick with their original decision."
  • May 6 - Thompson is down South and decides to pay a visit to Favre at his home. "I called him and said I am thinking about seeing you, I don't have any agenda or anything. So I did, I went and visited. Had lunch sat out on the veranda. We had a long talk and good talk. Nothing really came up other than like with any retired player, you could tell there were a few things that he would throw in there; 'there might be some doubts, I may change my mind,' or something like that. And that was that."
  • June 8 - Campen goes to Favre's home and has a long talk with Favre and leaves feeling Favre wants to return.
  • June 20 -- Favre calls McCarthy and the two have a 45-minute conversation in which Favre tells him he might want to play again. "There was more wondering, you know, what ifs." McCarthy and Thompson go on vacation for the July 4th weekend.
  • July 4 - Thompson receives a text message from Favre and sends a message back at about 8 p.m. back telling him he's traveling and can they talk on Monday? "By Monday I hadn't heard back from him. I sent him back a text saying, ‘Haven't heard from ya, hope you're getting these messages, can we talk Tuesday at noon?' He got back to me and said 'OK,' that it would be better sooner, but I was kind of doing some other things so we set up a conference call."
  • July 8 - Favre and his agent, James (Bus) Cook ask Thompson for Favre's release during the conference call. It's understood Favre won't be the starter in Green Bay. "There were, I think, conversations with Mike where both parties acknowledged that time had gone by and the Packers had been asked to move on, or move forward, or whatever. That's what they were thinking there (about asking for his release)."
  • July 11 - Thompson receives a letter from Favre and Cook formally asking for Favre to be released.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Delicate & Refined Expressions

My wife asked me why I shoot continuously sometimes. It's simple really. - I find I can capture certain nuanced, delicate, & refined expressions on my subject's faces. I would have missed those expressions if I were just waiting for the shot.
For example, click on the image series below of my Brother-in-law and his daughter.
Then look at row 4, column 2.
That photo goes into a special collection I'm amassing over the next 15 years.
The collection will be revealed 15 years from now, at the exact moment when my niece's date arrives to pick her up for her high school prom.
The collection is entitled: Photos-to-embarrass-my-niece-when-she's-older.
I reckon, in the 15 years or so, I'll be able to build up quite the collection.
I can't wait to see the delicate & refined expression on her face.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Going Home

Here are some fun recaps from our visit to Wisconsin
  • Hugging and kissing the cutest niece ever!
  • Beautiful beach on Lake Michigan
  • Late night talks with my Mom
  • Hearing my niece run around looking for "Gumma"
  • Six adults, a toddler and bullmastiff in a Ford Expedition (picture National Lampoon's Vacation)
  • Picnicing with friends at the park
  • Seeing the old bridge and the new bridge
  • Driving by our old house, the restaurant and grocery store where I worked during the summer
  • Visiting my Dad's double first cousin (two brothers marry two sisters, their children: double first cousins) and other family
  • Watching my brother and brother-in-law water ski
  • A pontoon boat ride
  • Watching the fireworks with the Special Ks
  • Did I mention hugging and kissing the cutest niece ever! :-)

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Happy Fourth of July!

From our celebration of Independence Day with our family. This is my brother-in-law with his daughter.