PFAFF PARK PLAYTIME

Today we took a break near the exact center of our three-day Memorial Day weekend by taking seventy-five percent of the Vallo girls to Robert J. Pfaff Park in Central Point.  Baylee, the other twenty-five percent, spent the night with her other grandparents in Grants Pass and was unable to join us.

 



 

I am flanked to my left by Rylie, Alexia, Makiah and Debra.

 

The park.

Debra provides pushing power for young swingers.

Rylie and Debra absorb themselves in deep conversation.



Rylie rides the monorail.

Makiah climbs to the top.

Makiah rides the monorail.

Alexia rests on a dinosaur.

Alexia stands in the gap.

One final frameable portrait.

REMOVING BARRIERS IN MARRIAGE

Several years ago, Debra and I bought a double recliner love seat.  The double worked fine.  The recliner worked fine.  The love did not work so fine because the piece of furniture was built with a barrier in the middle keeping us apart.

 

We tolerated this oxymoronic "love seat" until about a month ago when we decided it was time for a change.  Since, like most husbands,  I place a high value on marital cuddling, I knew it was time to remove the barrier.

 

Today there is no barrier.



 

Wishing we could cuddle on our old love seat, we couldn't.  A barrier separated us.

Today a barrier-free love seat arrived at our home and we're quite comfortable with it.



Maybe too comfortable.

THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES

We went out on a Friday night date. 

 

It wasn't a "Burger King drive-thru and rent-a-DVD and sit in front of the TV" date.  We actually had to pay more than $10 this time.

 

Two or three times a year Debra and I  go out on a special date to the Oregon Cabaret Threatre.  We arrive at 6:30 p.m. and select our dinner from a fine menu.  Then the play starts at 8:00 p.m.

 

This show portrayed four girls who graduated from high school together in 1958.  They reconnected in 1968 when one of them was getting married.  It was funny and entertaining and filled with a ton of songs from that era.

 

We tried taking a selfie from our front row balcony table, showing the stage in the background beneath us.

Unsatisfied with our selfie, we asked our waiter if he could take a picture for us.

Our view from the balcony.

The Oregon Cabaret Theatre is famous for its magnificent crystal chandelier that was salvaged from a 1927 movie palace in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  We could touch it from our table if our arms were only about ten feet longer.

The brochure for the show.

The two-act play, including a list of all the songs.

The cast performs.

Debra's view looking across our table.

My view looking across our table.

There was a brief moment during our date in which Debra was annoyed about something.  I can't remember what annoyed her, but I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with me.

MEETING ROBERT

A few weeks ago, Debra was reading a blog as I sat next to her on our reclining love seat.  When she finished reading the article, she turned to me and said, "I know who this boy is."  She then asked me to read the article.

This is what I read:

the waiting game

Posted on Friday, April 18, 2014 by Martin Corder

 

"Do you have a mentor?"



I met Robert, when he was in the 2nd grade. He's a great kid, polite, caring, outgoing and likes to help. He comes from a hard situation. His single mom has MS so it's hard to make ends meet. Two of his three sisters have been sexually abused; having to relive it recently during the trial. Robert is now in the 4th grade and been a part of the HATS Club where young kids without mentors meet twice a month. His life and attitude are open, friendly and optimistic despite all his struggles. But soon the hurt he feels will begin to shape his personality and attitude. He will become wary, cynical and hard. I have seen this process many times. I know from experience there's a window of time where Robert will be easily connected to a mentor. In a short time he will shut the door to caring people to avoid being hurt again.

So... each time he sees me he asks; "Clem, do you have a mentor for me?" Each time my heart breaks as I respond "Not yet." One day soon, the question won't come. One day soon Robert will lose hope. One day soon it will hurt too much for him to care.

We need one man to be a friend, mentor and example of Jesus' love to Robert. What about you?
Please call Youth for Christ 541-779-3275.

CLEM O'HARA / YFC (HATS) Mentors Director  /  541.779.3275


Debra has been interested in mentoring as long as I've known her.  She is currently mentoring a little girl who has not yet reached her teen years.  The little girl is one of Robert's three sisters.

After I read the article, Debra asked if I would consider mentoring Robert.  I said "Yes", submitted an application to the mentoring program and attended a mentor/mentee dinner tonight.  Debra and I picked up Robert and his sister from their home and took them to the dinner with us.

I have not yet been approved as a mentor.  My criminal background check has not yet been completed.  But if my running a red light in 1971 does not count against me, I should be okay.

GARDENING GIG

A couple of months ago our church, Ashland Christian Fellowship, asked if anyone could volunteer some time to help maintain the landscaping.  Since I've always enjoyed yard work, but since my time is limited, I offered to give a couple of hours a month.

 

A section of garden was assigned to me and last month I spent a couple of hours on my hands and knees removing weeds.  Today I brought my hedge trimmer and spruced up a tree and some shrubs.

 

Then I took Debra to a movie.



 

Approaching my assigned section.

 

Another view showing my section.

Trimming the tree.

Finishing up.

Debra and I saw the earliest showing of a movie that has been out for a few weeks, Divergent.  Consequently, we were alone in the theater except for one guy behind us with his big red tub of popcorn.