Just Another Day in Paradise

Emotions are high.  The news is discouraging.  One hit after another.  There seems to be no peace, no joy.  Even in times like this, you can choose to be happy.  You can choose to be grateful.  Regardless your station in life, if you sit back and choose to enjoy life that God has given you, you will be amazed at the enjoyment you get from simple things.  Dark thunderclouds (literal and figurative) can be rumbling all around you, but you can choose to walk in sunshine and blue skies.

Here's one thing that we've really found enjoyment out of lately.  With the weather warming up, we've gotten into a habit lately of cooking outdoors Sunday after church.  We bought a fire pit with a grill on top that swivels out of the way.  In an on-going chore with all the trees in the yard, we constantly pick up live oak and pecan twigs, branches, and limbs.  We gather it and use it as fuel for our outdoor cooking.

My Wife - Chillin' & Grillin'

The wood fire smells great as we sit back on the swing and visit, happy that we aren't heating up the house cooking indoors.  The birds chirp, the breeze blows through the trees, and the fragrance of sauteed mushrooms in a cast iron skillet and shish-ka-bobs waft through the air.  We talk about happy things and enjoy each others' company.  Despite everything going on, we can be grateful for God's blessings in our lives. 

We cherish the time and look forward for the food to be done.  We feast and then enjoy coffee and dessert.  The stresses of life dissipates as the embers cool.  The boys join us after church for our meal and family time.  We laugh hearty laughs and enjoy each other's company.

As I think about the small things that bring satisfaction in the midst of a tumultuous world, I'm reminded that no one's life is perfect.  I'm reminded that it is good to pause, reflect and enjoy the life God's given you.  Finally, I'm reminded that it is good to laugh - deep belly laughs.  Days like this are healthy for the soul and we commit to have more of them together.

Phil Vassar writes and sings some great songs and one in particular, "Just Another Day in Paradise" underscores the importance of enjoying, laughing, and giving thanks to God in the good times and bad.  It's one of those songs that are fun to sing along to and it's hard to be in a bad mood after listening to it.

I've posted the video below that you can listen to if you click the red arrow.  I also put the words to the song below.  I hope you enjoy it and it brings a smile to your face like I do when I hear it.

Just Another Day in Paradise - Phil Vassar

The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the washing machine
Baby, don't kick it.
I promise I'll fix it
Long about a million other things

Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Friday, you're late
Guess we'll never make our dinner date
At the restaurant you start to cry
Baby, we'll just improvise
Well, plan B looks like
Dominoes' pizza in the candle light
Then we'll tippy toe to our room
Make a little love that's overdue
But somebody had a bad dream
Mama and daddy
Can me and my teddy
Come in to sleep in between?

Yeah it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the lord every night
For just another day in paradise

The Best $0.99 I've Ever Spent in My Life

Do you ever have an itch that you can't scratch?  No matter how hard you try to reach it, it is physically impossible because it is right out of reach?

Cows have this problem all figured out.  At the farm in Oberlin there are some huge live oak trees that are easily over a hundred years old.  Their long limbs stretch out and then grow downward near the ground.  Cows that need a good scratching ease up to the limbs and rub and rub and rub until the itch has been scratched.  This is a frequent occurrence.  In fact, you can go to the very trees that I'm talking about and feel the bottom of these huge limbs and they are as smooth as glass from the friction of rubbing against cow hide.

I notice horses have an inventive way of scratching.  Horses are usually so proper and seem to have everything under control.  When they have an itch, however, all decorum and decency goes out the window.  They lay down, kick their legs into the air and roll on their backs, kicking up dust and scratching their backs.

I've tried two techniques to scratch my back.  The first is similar to what the cows do, except not on the limb of an oak tree, but on a door frame.  It is a little embarrassing, I guess, but not as embarrassing as rolling around on the ground like a horse.  The other technique I employ is to ask Tricia to scratch my back.  "A little to the left.  Lower, Lower, yeah right there."  Many times, though, I can tell that her heart just isn't into it and I ask her to stop.  For full disclosure, sometimes I'm not fired up about scratching her back either.

Sometimes the simplest things can bring happiness.  A few months ago we walked into the local Walgreens and noticed a rack of bamboo back scratchers for $0.99 cents each.  It was a no brainer. We purchased this item with all quickness.

The Back Scratcher

It's gotten lots of use since then.  It has some nice, curved fingers that allow you to finally reach that unreachable itch on your back without rubbing on a door frame or bugging your wife.

Of all entertainment and diversions, sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the best of all.

Simple Pleasures

We don't have cable TV at our house and, to be honest, I don't really miss it - until college football season, of course.  I still don't mind listening to the game on the radio though.  We don't watch much TV at all and when we do, it normally involves renting a movie at Red Box.  One thing that's got me re-thinking our lack of cable TV is that Benjamin recently rented "The Best of Duck Dynasty" at Red Box.  I think we're now hooked on this show.  

Even with all the hype, we had never seen it before this weekend.  After watching 6 episodes we can see why it is the most popular show on cable.  It is about a simple family who enjoy each other's company, like laughing and having a good time, and relish eating good food.  It is a clean show and they don't have to bleep out every other word.  At the end of the show, there is a prayer thanking the Almighty for his Goodness and the show always has some sort of a moral (or some wisdom from Uncle Si) conveyed in a funny way.  Even though the family is richer than chocolate cake, they seem to be grounded and content with the simple pleasures of country living.

A good friend of mine used an App on his iPad to help me envision what I'd look like with a Duck Dynasty beard.  What do you think?

I don't think Tricia would like this...

This got me thinking about the simple pleasures of life.  Now, I like nice things as much as the next guy, but it is really funny some of the things you remember and have the fondest recollections of don't involve the outlay of large sums of money.  I bet you if you thought about it, you'd come up with something similar.

For example, when I was a young boy, we worked out on my Dad's rice farm in Oberlin every weekend and all summer.  It was hot, hard work.  Our shirts would be completely drenched with sweat before 9 am most mornings.  When the job was complete Dad would reward us.  We'd hop in the back of my Dad's truck and take off.  Dad and Joe, a great guy who worked for my Dad, would drive us down Cotton Gin Road to a small country store.  I think it was officially called Buddy's, but we called it Bodo's.  As you'd walk into the store, there was a screen door that slammed shut behind you.  Since Bodo smoked meat and made boudin and cracklins in the store, it had a nice aroma that was free of charge.  Cats from all over the countryside seemed to be attracted to the smell as well.

As a reward for our hard labor, my Dad would buy us each a Dr. Pepper and a honey bun.  Bodo and his wife would joke around with us and would mark down the purchase in a little book as Dad had a charge account there.  At the end of the month, Dad would settle up with him.

I'm a Pepper

We would hop back into the back of the truck and put the tailgate down and ride on the tailgate, legs dangling, drinking a Dr. Pepper and eating the honey bun, laughing, singing and carrying on.  Life was good. Times were happy. Things were simple. It is amazing to think about how a simple thing like a soft drink and a honey bun could bring such joy and satisfaction that I could remember it 30 something odd years later. Weird.  It certainly wasn't the sugar and carbonated water that made something like this be etched in my memory.

Russ and Laura Lee came in from college for the Labor Day holiday.  We brought out the nice china and formal silverware and Tricia cooked a big pot of Red Beans and Rice.  We had our fancy formal meal in the formal dining room after church today, but to keep ourselves grounded, and as a declaration of our simplicity, we enjoyed our iced tea in Mason jars.

Duck Dynasty guys, we salute you!

Life's simple pleasures.  They don't require spending a bunch of money - just good times with family and friends.  Cheers!