BALENTINE MEMOIRS

 Since we moved into our old Brookside Tudor I've been trying to kill, destroy, demoralize, wound, or at least come to an agreement with the English Ivy that covers our front yard.  Seeing how "enhanced interrogation tactics" aren't an option in negotiating with this terrorist, I'm being forced to resort to go medieval in my tactics.   Imagine your yard being covered by a giant wicker basket.  But the wicker is so tangled its as if a highly motivated, schizophrenic basket weaver completed the task.  Now drive that wicker deep into the earth with railroad stakes. Finally cover the wicker with waxy leaves that are so tough they would laugh wildly in the face of the sharpest, most menacing machete.   During a web search I came across several forums where homeowners and landscapers were searching for communal support while they shared stories of defending a leafy assault on their lawns and trees.  My favorite comment came from a person i...

I wrote the following in July of 2010.  I remember wanting to connect better with family and friends who were far away by giving them a glimpse into our lives.  I never published this post, for some reason.  It is awesome to look back at our time in San Francisco and our first year of marriage!  It is also funny to hear my take on a old RENTAL house now that we own a 1918 "charmer" that births a new maintenance/improvement project almost every day.  I never finished the below post, but it is still interesting to look back.  One part I didn't finish was that the ceiling collapsed on our first floor at around 2AM and although we both woke, neither of us got up to check out the damage.  I guess we thought it was just another earthquake.  It was "quite a disaster," as our landlord said.  ---- Amy and I have surpassed the 9 month mark of being married and it has been quite a blast so far. Our SF apartment is compact but roomy, too old with a...

A desire to write down my thoughts on a variety of topics is a persistent urge of mine.  I've sporadically done it on iPhone notes and Evernote.  I had a paper journal that I wrote in consistently for a few years, but have since rarely cracked it open.  Now I think it is important to begin to aggregate these entries in one place.  I hope it helps my wife know me better and my children know me better.  If my friends and other family end up taking a look, that is great as well.  My prayer would be that my exploration of thought helps me come closer to Christ and know God better.  I believe that allowing yourself to be vulnerable forces humility and gives you a real opportunity to grow.  So much of life and relationships involve protecting and shielding ourselves from being vulnerable around others. God seizes your heart if you remove the barrier of your ego and you clear the path to seek his knowledge.  I want others to join me on thi...