Swords and Strategy

You are holding a longsword over four feet long with two hands. The pommel rests on your chest as both hands grip the hilt. Staring through a wire mesh as the sweat rolls down your brow and your breath is becoming labored, you warily watch a relaxed opponent as he holds his sword in a low guard just outside the reach of your blade.

As you move in and your blades clash, he quickly pivots his blade and it crashes into your unguarded hand, followed by a quick thump on your head. You were struck, for about the eleventh time in a row.

This was the experience I had last night at the Tucson Historic Fencing Club (http://www.tucsonhistoricfencing.com/).

At the urging of the daughter's, she and our youngest son and I joined the class. We were met by Doug and Jay, who greeted us and began describing the history of, not only the club, but medieval fencing from 15th and 16th century Germany. Jay was kind enough to demonstrate the basic guards strikes and moves from the German system and they both gave a thorough description of the club's philosophy.

Doug, who founded the club, has obviously spent years pouring over ancient manuals and documents to learn about this fighting art and was able to answer all our questions about the art.

But, as I soon discovered, he is not merely a scholar, but a practitioner as well. He put us through the paces of some of the basics and then treated me to a few minutes of - well, I'm not sure what they call it. It wasn't full speed fighting that they usually do, with pads, gaurds and gauntlets, but some basic squaring off to practice some of the basic maneuvers in a real time environment. Let's call it"Sparring".

The training I usually do in "Krav Maga", which means "Contact Combat", had some glaring deficiencies in fighting with a long old sword at the end of your arm. Krav is designed for close in hand to hand stuff, while a long sword has a considerably longer reach. While some of the principles I applied seemed to translate well, the range, footwork  and philosophy of movement and defense was different enough that I was easily handled.

If you are at all interested in martial arts, consider checking out this art from Europe's past. We spent an interesting and engaging evening at the Club's new facility. It's fun, interesting and the people are truly passionate about this art.

Again, here is a link:

www.tucsonhistoricfencing.com

It's the thing to do!

I recently heard on some radio broadcast that everyone is putting out a country album. Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper, Steven Tyler, that guy from Stained...

So, in that vein, I am re-releasing the lyrics of the first verse of my biggest country hit.

Next, I am gonna have to do a Christmas Album.


 Enjoy:


The Things That Happen to Me
 - they are bad

"...had a real bad night
Got in a fight with my lover
the truck broke down,
she ran off with another

Oh, I can't believe the things that happen to me.

The dog jumped out
Got hit by a semi
You shoulda seen
that poor little mutt fly

Well, I can't believe the things that happen to me.

They're bad, so bad
Oh so bad."
c 1999, James T. Allerton

You've probably had a tough year!

It seems a common theme among may of our friends. And it holds true for us as well. It has simply been a tough year.

Clouds seem to have gathered for many of us. In between us, we've had trouble with family, finances, relationships, health issues, loved ones getting sick, loved ones dying, employment, and with the things we own...our houses, cars, clothes and more.

It is so easy for me to focus on the negatives in my life. To look at the desert and remember how bleak and dry so much of the landscape appears to be.

But, as Thanksgiving approaches, I hope to remember the good things that have happened this year. The plenty of things that I can be thankful for.

Won't you join me in seeing the flowers in the desert just a little bit as Thanksgiving Day approaches?

And this doesn't apply to every situation, but it is something to consider:

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

Ths will probably be my last party

"This will probably be my last party"

That was what Betty told us when she was eighty years old.

In 2005, when we moved into this neighborhood, we held ourselves a welcome to the neighborhood party. No-one else seemed to be interested in throwing us a party, so we had our own and invited all the neighbors, and the few family and friends that we had here in town.

One of the neighbors that joined us was Betty. It turns out that it wasn't her last party.

Betty has some family around in Washington and Phoenix, but she couldn't spend too much time with them. They were kind of far away, and she was getting older. But, she was able to come next door, to our house.

So, Betty joined us, whenever she could, for our Holidays. Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas brunch, birthdays, and the random parties we sometimes throw just so I can see people. At one party, Diane offered her a drink. Betty let Diane know that her Doctor told her she really couldn't do anything like that anymore. Fortunately for her, we didn't have much in the way of alcoholic beverages at this party, so she happily took some tea, or water, or lemonade, or whatever we were serving. 

 She made sure she kept up with what the kids were doing and always wanted to hear news about their events, activities, progress in school.

She would give us books that she thought were interesting, and discuss others that she had been reading when she came around.

She even joined us for an eclipse viewing party, where we all took turns looking through the telescope, my night vision goggles and binoculars at a solar eclipse.

From meeting them in person, sharing times with them and hearing her tell us all about them, we got to know her family too.

She became part of our family.

In the past few years, Betty's health began to deteriorate. We were on the list for calls in case of emergency, and we had to meet the firemen next door a few times for transports to the hospital. At the end of last year, we visited her a few times in the rehab center after she appeared to have had a stroke. Her daughter came to stay with her for several weeks and she had a round the clock in home caregiver.

Finally, her daughter went back home and, not long after, Betty followed to go stay with family.

Last week, Diane got a call letting her know that Betty had died. She was 92 years old.

We are grateful that we got to spend more than one party with our neighbor and that 2005 wasn't the last party she ever got to go to.

Goodbye Betty. We will join you again for that "last party" one day when someone who knows how to throw better ones than we ever did is the host. Until then, we will all miss you!

Who prays for the Daughters of David

This one is still a progressive work, but I wanted to express some thoughts about meeting some people on my journeys.
And I know, the meter is a bit off, as is the rhyming sequence. I call it free form-ish
And I know, it's usually son's of David and daughters of Zion.
It's irony.
Try to hear what it is saying:



We've all heard the story

time and again

Of the wayward one that ran from the fold.

And how God intervened

To keep them safe and bring them back 

Before they grew too old

And all through those years

They knew in their heart

That someone had kept them in prayers that were constant 

 and prayers that were bold.

We should pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Jerusalem Shel Zahav,  Jerusalem of Gold

Shalu Shalom Yerushslyem 

Or that is what we are told

And then, perhaps, God's spirit will revisit that land

And maybe warm the hearts that, for so many years

have grown so very cold.

But I  will continue to wonder,

Perhaps until I am old,

Who prays for the Daughters of David and the Sons of Zion

With a name that can be told

And who remembers not the place, but the person, 

And asks that they find the peace

That can neither be bought nor sold.

When your knee hits the floor

 whose plight do you remember, 

whose story do you uphold

With your hands lifted high,

when you utter a sigh,

for that blessed City of Gold 

Do remember a friend from the land they are in, 

And ask on behalf of that one specific heart 

that God alone can remold?

End of Watch: Friday, April 26, 2013

As you may know, I recently returned from a trip to Israel. One of those that we were honored to have with us, on the "Yellow Bus", in our tour group was Julie Candelari. She had set a goal to come to Israel and be a blessing to the people there and some of those that serve there too. And she made it!

While setting the goal and getting over there was an achievement in itself, her trip was extra special to our tour because she had to do it alone after losing her husband in 2013.

Officer Larry Candelari was struck and killed after stopping to assist at a traffic accident while off duty and coming home from a hunting trip. His 23 years with his department and his prior service in the Marine Corps shows him to be a great example to us all. And he lost his life serving when he didn't have to be.

And that last sentence is not entirely true. I don't know any cops who would pass by an injury accident and not help when they were able to render aid. And Larry Candelari was a great example of our finest.

Please take a look at his ODMP page and remember Larry and his wife:

Larry Candelari
End of Watch: Friday, April 26, 2013 


Rest now, Brother. We'll take it from here!

The nerdiest place I've ever been

So, here I sit at Minecon 2016. Minecon is a convention for Minecraft players. To get here, 12,000 people sat at their computers at the precise moment to scramble to get their tickets, which sold out in a few minutes.

Ay this convention, you are filled with inspiration to sit at your computer and, not only play minecraft, but virtually watch others to sit and play minecraft as they stream their games live and on YouTube videos.

You can sit in panels and learn how to fritter away every spare moment on mods, packs, twitch, punching trees, making caves and all the other things that go along with Minecraft.

What, I wondered, is the big appeal? I have been known to sit for hours and play games, but, after a while, you realize you need to do something useful. So why do people spend so much time on stuff like this.

I think a big part of the appeal lies again in the desire for community. When you are playing minecraft, you are not only playing a game, but you are working with others to make worlds happen, share the work you've done and connect with others while learning about stuff that's fun for all of you. It's an electronic virtual front porch where you can connect with others.

So, probably most of you already knew this, but it was a discovery for me. What is your front porch? Maybe you even have a real one!