Father's Day Gift

This year for Father's Day my sons took me to see a Yankee game. July 1 was my first trip to the year old new stadium and with clear skies, breezes from the northwest and 78 degrees the day was beautiful. Joan, Ted, Tim and I attended.  The Yankees played the Seattle Mariners- CC Sabathia pitched and led with a 2-0 lead until the 8th inning when Seattle tied it up. In the bottom of the 8th A-Rod launched a home run to right field to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. All they had to do was get three outs in the top of the 9th.  In came Mariano Rivera, the closer.  Mariano, 40, is still considered the best closer and delivers fast balls at 90+ mph. His 'cutter' appears as a fast ball as it approaches the batter, but then...it explodes and cuts down and in to a left hander (down and away for a right hander).  He gets batters out with either a strike out or a ground ball.

As the father of pitchers and players you gain an appreciation for the physical and mental aspects of delivering the ball across the plate in a sequence of speed and location that keeps the batter's swing timing subject to uncertainty. We got to see Mariano do his genius as he retired the 3 batters in the 9th and then this weekend he is the subject of the feature article Mariano Rivera, King of the Closers in The New York Times Magazine.  It is a great article about his mental attitude and performance as a pitcher and don't miss the video that explains how the ball moves as it leaves his hand and moves toward the batter.

Ted has a great skill in organizing. I think he learned it from a) his German heritage and b) his training as an Eagle Scout and c) as a teacher. So this trip came about with Ted's clarity and skill in getting tickets and having us all ready and out the door on time. He orchestrated a great day.  We have begun a new tradition. Now if he can only help us get there and back without traffic.

SDV's, Guacamole and Peach/Mango Salsa

We live in a creative and discerning household and one thing we've learned is the wonder of the SDV. Salt Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) add to the contrast of food tastes and are characterized by two major players- potato chips and tortilla chips. In Lays or Herr's Wavy potato chips (not Wise Ridges), there is a wider periodicity ruffle and they are more crisp than a non-wave chip. Just put a chip into your mouth and let the salt dissolve. The other SDV of equal wonder is corn tortilla chips. My favorite are Eden Garden Brand. However, Snyders or another brand are also good. Baked chips typically don't do it but you be the judge.

SDVs need accessories- like freshly made guacamole or a salsa. If you're new to the spiritual view of Guacamole as life, you can try out fresh guacamole made commercially at the South of the Border chain. Look for hand made and not whipped or blended. South of the Border makes the guacamole table side where you can watch and direct the correct amount of the ingredient mix. They tend to be gentle in their preparation- not too spicy or salty as they don't want to have you turn away from what you ordered. Another way to do guacamole is to use a pre-mix spice package and just add avocados.  And to have maximum freedom in taste adjustment make your own. Tim, Ted and Zach all cook at our house. Tim has been the lead in guacamole mixing and flavoring techniques.

There are two benefits of making your G/S. First, making it yourself lets you select the freshest ingredients and raw flavors.  Second, by making the dish yourself you have total control of the flavor by selecting how much of each material you put in. 

GUACAMOLE (based on Tim's works) Ingredients, Cutting and Initial Mixing Instructions
Tools: 
Cutting/chopping knife, cutting board, dinner fork, table spoon, mixing bowl about two times the size of the final serving bowl.
Ingredients:
SDV's - 1 lb bag of Eden Garden or other corn tortilla chips
4 avocados- (grow or reduce the recipe 2 avocados at a time). Select avocados so they are slightly but noticeably movable by your hand squeeze. Cut the avocados and remove the pit. Spoon out the green/yellow pulp into the mixing bowl.
Prepare the other ingredients
1 Fresh tomato (not too ripe)- chopped about 1/4 inch cubes, use 1/2 of a 3 inch tomato.
2 Jalapeno Peppers-cut in circles so they look like wagon wheels. Chop smaller. The more seeds you leave the hotter the flavor.  Begin with 1 pepper. Save 2nd for adding flavor (see tuning directions below)
Cilantro- about 30 stems- cut with scissors or chop with knife so leaves are about 1/3 of their original size
Sea Salt- start with a tablespoon. (see tuning directions below)
1 White or Red Onion about 3 inch diameter- select the zing in the onion to your personal taste. Chop 1/2 of the onion.
1 lime
Mix the ingredients.
Use fork and spoon to break up the avocado. Mix until there are still a few chunks left. Do not overmix or whip- keep some coarseness to the texture. Texture aids scoopability.
Add Lime juice- a light squeeze of 1/2 a lime
Refrigerate and let flavors mingle:
The onion, cilantro salt and jalapeno need about 1/2 - 2 hours to mix in the refrigerator
Tuning Directions:
Taste test and add more sea salt to personal taste.
Not hot enough? add jalapeno and onion a table spoon at a time to get to your personal liking.
Consider an experiment and divide your batch into two parts- one mixed with low spice and the other high spice- see which you like better.
Leftovers?
Use a plastic wrapand press it down against the guacamole- this and the lime juice keep it alive for later in the day or overnight. Avocados turn brown in the air.

PEACH AND MANGO SALSA
(make both guacamole and salsa- many of the same materials are used)
Joan made this last week with great results. We used the same SDV's as for Guacamole
The delicate flavors of mangoes and peaches combine with onions and garlic in this sweet-and-savory salsa recipe. Try it with chips for a light snack on a hot summer night, or add to a vegetable burrito for an unusual twist. (from a newsletter we received)
Ingredients:
2 mangoes, peeled and chopped
2 fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
dash sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Dice and chop- no blenders.
Chill:
Chill for at least one hour, to allow flavors to combine, and stir well before serving.

Wind Wave Chimes Ring Freely

Every trip I make to Florida includes a segment of remembrance for my dad, and his influence in my life. JCH is buried in the Veteran's area of a cemetery in Stuart, Florida, a nice resting place, albeit in a hot zone and  two miles inland. Last year while visiting his gave site I was impressed with the five years of growth of the thin sprig planted next to his flat headstone that has now grown to a lichen rich full shade tree. At the cemetery people place wind chimes in the trees as a peaceful remembrance of their family members. But in the hot and moist Florida Treasure Coast climate the string ages and rots and the chimes fall to the ground. With this last chime crash my mom and I began a search for a new wind chime. We checked four different stores and finally gave up--- no chimes in the winter but the idea stayed with me.

When we leave this life what happens to us? Our life less body remains but what happens to our essence, our soul? The question is ours to ponder and to speculate upon. We listen to those who think they have an idea, who formulate and propagate a scenario. It could be so. We all face this event and yet we know nothing for sure- it's a mystery that we live with. I'm ok with the uncertainty as I know the Universe only has good in mind.

Last week when I spent time in my father's garage I was in a communion with him. The tools he used, the things we worked on together, perspectives and skills he taught me, my observations on his aging, his passions, obsessions both joyful and unpleasant are my bread and wine all contained in the covenant of our continued connection. It is that same connection as he had with his father and father's father before him and as I have with my sons today. And so invoking my creative nature, I continued with the idea of creating a new wind chime.

The garage smells of musty old tools, metal and wire that has oxidized in the humid air. Wooden tool boxes I made as a teen hold the tools and now they look back at me, waiting to be called back into action. I drew the new design for a wind chime on my sketch pad and began to look for materials symbolizing sailing- small sailing line designed to be low stretch and made of the best synthetic materials, sea friendly teak wood to hold the chimes. The last unknowns were the chimes. What about the chimes? How to make them? How do they fit and how do they sound when hanging and clanging together?

My father had many hobbies and as my mom told me last week, "Your father always got everything he wanted." It was through his hobbies that he learned and created and explored. So in his 30's amateur radio was his interest. Using his FCC call sign, K3IUZ, he was passionate about radio, electronics and electromagnetic waves through out his life. In his mid 40's sailing became his joy. Owning five different boats they sailed first in lakes and later grew into ocean sailing. Mom and Dad cruised the Northeast, the East Coast and both coasts of Florida in their 30 foot C&C, 'Misty.' 

To get a signal out...or to bring one in, you need an antenna and not just any piece of wire; it needs to be  tuned to transmit or receive a specific frequency. The garage has remnants of antenna projects that remind me of software projects I have been involved with. In software (in this case the antenna) a section of code that was perfectly clear to the developer becomes difficult to reuse or modify after the developer has left the project...unless there is some form of documentation. No one knows exactly what Dad was thinking on his antennas. My investigation into a cardboard tube stuffed in the back of the garage led to the perfect chime. Several 3/8 inch tubes, made of brass and aluminum no longer functioned as antenna and I transformed them into chimes. I made eight tubes ranging  between 6 and13 inches long. To symbolically link the wind and waves together I painted the metal a dark blue, the color of 'Misty' and hung them with the marine grade line.

Next came putting it all together. Tim, home in NJ, became my coach, sending pictures of a much larger chime hanging there in a tree which served as my reference design. I began the project in mind a year ago and building and assembling it took parts of three days. I cut, sanded, drilled, filed, fitted, assembled, listened and adjusted several times. The garage temperature was 80's at night and mid 90's in the day and you can guess the humidity in Florida during June. The chime gong is a 2 inch stainless steel ring and a weight below it swings in the breeze and initiates metal to metal contact at the first signs of a breeze. The sound tone works perfectly and the sound reminds me of a boatyard with halyards clanging on a mast as the wind blows.

Mom and I drove to the cemetery and hung the wind chime in the tree, ready to relax its taut sailing cord in the daily temperature swings and ready to freely ring. I know there is no need to comfort my father. He is not here. But for those remaining, this chime is a symbolic reminder of experiences we shared and a way to honor one man's life. It is a form of grief relief and just one more pathway of free living today.

Guy Hugs

Almost every night when I was a kid I would physically go to my father and say "Good night, Dad.  I love You". He often spent evenings at the kitchen table thinking or planning and I would approach, kiss his cheek, feel his day long beard, say my words and then head off to my room. It was an obligatory ritual that I lived by and it provided a symbolic sign off for the day.
In my early 30s now out of the house for 10 years we had begun shifting out relationship to that of adults. At a cousin's wedding, in my joy of seeing him I hugged Dad and today remember feeling that I was the hugger and he was the huggee.  Now most often hugs happen and with reciprocating action.  That is, it is a mutual exchange of hugs. Today I see that neither of us had gone through hug training. So when I saw this instructional video on hugging I wanted to pass it on.  Practice with a brother or friend.

School's back

For the first time in 5 years all three of my sons are in school. Ted is busily studying and mastering the thousands of muscles and ligaments names for his anatomy and phys class. He studies at William Paterson. Tim is through general studies at Ramapo and is focusing on Communications Studies. And Zach after a few years of working at a consultancy in international affairs and then moving to a technical career in web development and project management has now begun an 8 month full time program on that topic through Boston University. I am impressed with their maturity, well articulated goals and am really appreciating watching each young man think, learn and blossom. What a gift!

Uncle Bud - 2

Phase II began the week of my father's passing. Bud was 87 then. My Dad died a few months before his 79th birthday. When I spoke Bud by phone he said, "I really want to be there." I heard strong determination in his voice and what I interpreted as his intention to honor the memory of his brother, John, by being present for the memorial. Bud considered flying but has always loved cars and driving. He drove his Chevy Impala the 1100 miles from Pennsylvania to Florida. Armed with GPS on his dashboard and operating at least 2 ham radios for the trip he drove down with just one overnight stay. Bud's wife, Mary, had passed about 2 years before and his wife's sister, Jean, came as his travel companion. His son and sister were really angry with his decision, describing him with words like 'crazy old man'. He arrived safely in Florida and was part of the family remembrance and celebration.

Photo - From Left to Right- Dad , Bud, Mary's sister Jean

We comforted each other. As brothers, they are not that similar in physical appearance or demeanor. They are different builds- My Dad being taller and perhaps leaner and Bud shorter and rounder in the waist. But I recognize from pictures of both of them that they have the family features of my grandfather, the same nose and matching facial lines around their chin along with fine white hair of experience and wisdom.

I started to spend more time with Bud that year. We went from seeing each other every few years to 2 or 3 times a year. In the months after March 05 I drove the 2 hours to Bud's house a few times. Always a collector- electronics, old oscilloscopes, guns, tools and shell reloading apparatus, his ham radio shack and his basement are like a museum. Today it's hard for him to type or do too much with fine motor movement with his hands so the workshop. At almost 91 he reads all email but just doesn't reply.

I think our first life discussion was at the back of the church while getting ready for my father's memorial service. Bud explained the places where he and Dad grew up in Philadelphia and what it was like for my dad growing up after his mother passed. A few months later I went to the church where Dad was baptized Schwenckfelder Church (now part of United Church of Christ) found his baptismal record and visited my grandfather's homes where he grew up. Then I did the ancestry.com search and along with my Aunt Gertrude uncovered some family history of people and geography and our connection to German electro-mechanical heritage. Touring through Germany in 2005 I could see the similarities between Bavaria and Pennsylvania and why so many Germans migrated to Pennsylvania.

Over the past four years Bud has been a part of many family celebrations. We spent an Easter dinner together. He surprised me once and attended the installation service marking the start of my Ministry. Two years later we went to watch Tim play ball on a summer college league at nearby Quakertown. One time I stayed overnight at his house. And the next day we got up, went for breakfast and he came to my Sunday talk at the nearby Spiritual Center. Each trip we always find a place to go for dinner. That night we sat outdoors on his porch well past sunset and talked and talked. Every time we get together I listen to the stories about his youth, family, the 'old man'- my grandfather and my dad- 'Johnny'. We share work experiences, talk about investments, life, living and our mortality.

It's been a year since I visited Bud. He's been experiencing a tired heart. We've talked on the phone but last week was my first face to face since he moved from his home into the assisted living center. His family and granddaughters look out for him. He still has his car but doesn't drive much. He's a little unsteady on his feet but claims that when he gets behind the wheel things come completely to focus. I believe him.
In his room is a big screen flat screen, a bed and couple of well stuffed chairs. Two PCs are open on a table. And the biggest thing in his room is his 8 foot wooden workbench full of radios and antennas. We celebrated our visit by having dinner out. The restaurant was almost full and the high volume of the traveling softball team overdrove his hearing aid so we covered fewer topics than usual and focused on our prime rib. His mind works well. I drove the 115 miles back home completely satisfied and enriched feeling grateful for the day, connected to my family and our heritage; connected to the blessing of life itself.

Uncle Bud

My grandfather's, Wilbert H., first child Wilbert Charles 'Bud' was born in Philadelphia in 1918. Eight years older than my father he has spent his life and career in Pennsylvania and also in Long Island in aerospace. He came back to Pennsylvania and settled in an adjacent property to my grandfather's farm. While never completing high school, Bud developed great competence in electronics, mechanics, technical problem solving and customer service he has always and he continues to have a thirst for knowledge. He translated the knowledge and skills into a successful industrial career.

It was interesting that both of them began playing the electronic organ in their 40's and 50's- go figure. Both of my sisters continued with music in their college studies and adult lives. Through their adult lives Dad and Bud saw each other 3 or 5 times a year. In retirement they continued to enjoy some hobbies together- they always had ham radios. My dad began moving away from technical and more into sailing, camping, traveling across the US and cruising. Bud and his wife, Mary attended our family reunions, graduations and summer get togethers when my folks visited from Florida. (Photo Gwen's H.S. Graduation 2001 - l to r Dad, U. Bud, Zach) That was all phase I.