Tagged for Seven Things

My good friend Fr. John Fenton has tagged me for "Seven True Things." The spirit is to blog something revealing of my life, I suppose.

1. I've moved my belongings 14 times. A few of those were partial moves, to the Seminary and back, once to Germany and back, but each one meant packing all or as much as possible.

2. My first dog was a German Shepherd/Collie mix named Heidi. She was my first best friend, and I still get sad thinking about her death. She was a pup when I first started walking, and once saved my life (or at least from great pain). I was toddling around and walked out into the pasture where the chickens were. Mom and sister were watching me, but I was too far away when the rooster started coming for me. Think about it: a 30 pound one-year-old and a big mean rooster which pecks with 15 lbs of force (according to Wikipedia) and sharp talons. From out of nowhere, Heidi the puppy came running, out pacing my sister and mom and went after the rooster. Mom scooped me up and the rooster was in pieces in the freezer within days. We never ate him. Heidi earned her keep many more times over the next 12 years, and no dog has measured up since her (sorry Bandit).

3. When I think of "home," it is the rolling hills, fields, and hardwood forests of Western Missouri
that I imagine.

4. One of my earliest memories of Church is singing the Te Deum at Matins.

5. I used to be a worry-wart. I suppose I still worry deep down in my soul, but about fewer things.

6. My grandfather's uncle lived next door to the James Family farm in Kearney, MO. This was after Jesse died, but Frank and the Old Woman still lived in the house (the one the FBI bombed). He lived at the top of the hill, they at the bottom, and knew all along they were "trashy" people, according to my grandfather. The James' once moved the fence between their properties, apparently in the middle of the night, and the sheriff had to come out and tell them to move it back. The Old Woman moved into town once the house was bombed and a few years after she died, my grandmother was born in the same house (I suppose this one is not about me, per se, but it's a good story.)

7. I don't watch sports. I enjoy Baseball and Football, even Basketball and Soccer if I watch them, but only do it if it's my kid playing, or it's a Bears game and my wife and I have paid attention long enough to notice it's on. I cannot understand why people memorize statistics and rosters. I can't name but a handful of NFL players, perhaps one or two NCAA Football players, and perhaps a dozen Baseball players. I was born without the gene, apparently.

Now... I tag Doorman, Christine (do you have a blog???), Dixie, and Brown.