What is Kalamazoo?

What is Kalamazoo?

a. a band instrument for Senior Citizens.

b. a Presidential election slogan. "Kalamazoo and Tyler too!"

c. a fried seafood popular with yuppies, urbanites, and millennials. 

d.a city in Michigan halfway between the Dalys, the Taberskis, and the Dittmers.

e. all of the above.

My daughters, grandsons, Mary and I met at the halfway point between us at the Cracker Barrel in Kalamazoo Michigan

Arranging Flowers

Mary has arranged her birthday flowers.
Me to Mary: You've done this before!
Her late husband and his brother owned a flower shop. She worked there for decades.

Indiana Car WARSH

In Boston, they remove the R's.
They pahked the cah on the boulevahd for a quatah.
In Indiana we keep the R's. We parked the car on the boulevard for a quarter. Then we add one more R.
Take the car to the car warsh.

Humility, My Greatest Challenge

Humility is my greatest challenge, especially since I'm so talented, intelligent, and good looking.

High Intensity Training, Intermittent Fasting, and Hugh Jackman

Interesting observations about running: Was it this spring? or last spring I gave up distance jogging and turned to High Intensity Training around my 1/6th mile cement circle around the condo pond and fountain. I start off with gentle slow jogging with high toe strike, which adds to the work load. There's a little incline around the first bend, which I try to take at tempo to increase the work load, then, as the sidewalk levels out I pick up the pace, again picking up the pace around the next turn and drop off. I try stretching my stride. I breathe in with two steps, out with two steps. Somewhere during this straightaway, my legs and arms start to go numb. During the last month or two, I have started to double the pace of breathing. Not surprisingly the numbness fades. I round the last corner, and both pick up the pace and length of stride.
Here is what is interesting: For a long time, several months, I would run to the last corner and stop. But lately I noted that my arms and legs were no longer tired, so I went around an extra corner and started my second lap, which has the long straightway.
Each day it seemed like I went further and further, and noticed I was still feeling good, until I was running the entire straight.
For the last two runs, I tried to see if I could tire my arms and legs by running faster each time. So far, I felt no fatigue. I haven't found my limit yet.
The other limitation to running is pain in my joints, which is why I switched to HIT training instead of jogging. I rarely have joint pain lately. Since the entire workout is less than two minutes, time is never an excuse. 
None of this is helping me lose weight, even though I only eat once or at the most twice a day. I once ate nothing but salads for 6 months, a fact that my friend Pablo Montez will verify, and did not lose any weight.
So I'm going to add walking. I started walking tonight, around the condo. I'll try to add more and longer workouts as I am able to fit them in. I will ask Mary each time. I'm sure in the future Mary will join me at times.
Another way to lose weight is to extend my fasting to a whole day, perhaps twice a week. I don't get hungry, as long as I'm busy, unless I sit down for a meal with someone. I have no idea at this point how I could work that out. I will mull and pray about it. By the way, Hugh Jackman practices intermittent fasting, but he also works out 2 and 1/2 hours a day. That ain't gonna happen with me.

Short Term Memory Loss and Low Sugar Cooking

Me, Pablo Montez, and Mary

I also made a low sugar cherry pie with Great Value No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling

Made a taco pie from low sugar barbecue beans and rice with chicken. I add a teaspoon of kelp powder (don't tell Mary) and disguise the flavor with garlic, chili powder, ginger, mushroom, and turmeric. I use Heinz 75% sugar free Ketchup, Great Value Black Bean and White Corn Salsa, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. It had cream cheese and Mexican cheese mix layered in. I sprinkled cheese on top after cooking, then added sour cream and poured Mary's favorite Ortega original taco sauce on top Got the Salsa idea from daughter Wendelyn Daly, the diced tomatoes and green chilies idea (a long time ago!) from sister Terry Eshelman. (or was it her late husband Kris?)
Mary asked for seconds.
Me to Mary: You love sweet barbecue sauce. You'd eat a sandal if it had sweet barbecue sauce on it.
Mary: I don't think I'd eat a sandal?!
(I still think she would!)
Since I've known her, Mary has had short term memory issues. She is high functioning because she has super Ninja awareness, she religiously keeps a calendar, and she uses me to fill in the blanks. Her short term memory worsened during her hospitalization with super high blood sugar (800) and intestinal blockage, which needed major surgery. But even then she kept the staff in the dark with her humor. They asked her if she knew where she was. Her answer? Well, I'm not in Kansas!
Recently, when Mary's relaxed, I've noticed multiple instances of her short term memory working
But,when she's under pressure, like getting ready for her nail appointment today, she can't spell. She ended up cancelling today's appointment cause her tummy was upset.
A few months back, her afternoon readings were always well over 200. A fasting reading was between 180 to 200.
She took her blood sugar at 4 this afternoon, after eating breakfast at 11:30. Today's reading was 167, technically her best reading ever, and especially good for her for a non fasting reading. 

Thought I should pass on the mostly good news.

A Specific Prayer for Wisdom

Another specific prayer for wisdom? Lord, stop me from presuming! (Silence helps.)

Is Mary Teasing Me?

There was a large gaggle of deer the other night at the West entrance to the park. Mary got excited, started counting but lost track because there were so many.
Mary: There were more than three, weren't there?!
Me: There were at least 9.
Mary, in the voice of the Count: 1 deer, Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! 2 deer, Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! 3 deer, Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! 
(I think she's teasing me??)

The Grace of Attracting the Best

God has given me a special gift.

He has given me the grace of attracting the best.

My first wife, who passed away in 2008, set her sights on me 8 months before our first date, when both of us were dating others. Upon seeing me, she told her best friend "That is the man I'm going to marry!"

8 months later, on our first date, she gave me a kiss, and told me that she loved me. After 15 days of confusion on my part, I told her that I loved her, and I asked her to marry me. We were married for 40 years.

Lynne, (on the left) with her best friend Geri, about the time that we first met. This was the stunning outfit she wore.

I have some of the most talented and faithful friends a man could ever possess. I blamed a lot that on my late wife Lynne, but that doesn't explain how Mary came into my life, and it doesn't explain you, my new friends on the internet.

Only the special gift and grace of attracting the best can explain why you are reading this now.

Many of you have had far more successful careers than mine. Many of you are far more adept at writing, poetry, photography, and the skills necessary to navigate this new internet world than I am.

Yet here you are, reading my blog.

I have prayed for you. I have prayed God would rain down grace on your every step. I have prayed that grace would well out of your heart like an unstoppable flood, and the the lives you are touching will smell the aroma of the frankincense and myrrh of our Crucified Christ.

(This was an excerpt from my blog and future book Clarity, Threads of Grace, and Riding Shotgun With Jesus: The Power of the Story

To Russia With Love and Maggie Thatcher

Believe it or not, not everybody in the world lives in America, and not everybody is on Facebook.
I have a blog that I have inconsistently and intermittently authored since 2010. I have been fickle with the name and finally came back to original The Shepherd's Journal.
I have decided to continue my efforts because of my audience. The majority are from other counties. The biggest number is from Russia, even on today's post.
During the Cold War, a surprising number of Russians came to deeply admire the Prime Minister of Britain, Maggie Thatcher, who's influence was at least partly responsible for bringing down THE WALL in Berlin. The Russian admiration for her ran so deep that Maggie Thatcher fan clubs sprang up across Russia.
I, too admired Maggie. I once told Lynne that if I was single, I would think of asking Maggie for a date. She said she wouldn't lose any sleep over my confession. 
I fell in love with Lynne the same way. I deeply admired her for 6 months and 15 days before I proposed.
Maybe, if God ever permits me to go to Russia, I will find REVMADDOG fan clubs in Russia.
God is good!

The young Maggie Thatcher, before she was Prime Minister of Britain.

This is the outfit Lynne was wearing when we first met. Geri Kile (Busch) was one of her best friends and was present when we met. We were both dating other people, but had a date 6 months later. I admired her deeply. 

Riding Shotgun With Jesus and Clarity

I have indecisively mulled over the my future book and current blog title for about two years now.
Now I am at peace. The new and hopefully final title is Riding Shotgun with Jesus and Clarity.
The problem was that I had two areas I wanted to cover. I wanted to include the many adventures I have enjoyed. But I also wanted to focus on insights God has given on homeschooling and evangelism and discipleship and leadership and grace... The list goes on and on.
God speaks to those who are unafraid to listen. To be honest, I have been timid about listening to God, but that was countered by a deep hunger to hear from Him and even to see His face.
About the title, I think God spoke a word to me around the time I contemplated writing and compiling a third large book.
The word was Clarity.
The gift of God I have appreciated greatly is clarity. Clarity about Jesus Christ and His Gift of Salvation is THE GREATEST GIFT! Without clarity, we stumble dangerously and blindly.
Light brings clarity, but so does vision. Light is useless if we don't have eyes that see. Seeing eyes can be blinded by an unwillingness to humbly admit the truth.
The words Riding Shotgun With Jesus came to me recently. These words allow me to focus on that part of me which I enjoy, telling stories, which brings me to this observation.
I am a preacher, but I can't preach without telling stories.
I am a story teller, but I can't tell stories without preaching.
To find my new blog type in any search engine: mikedittmerstoryteller.blogspot.com.

Heavy Cream and Intermittent Fasting

A very young grandson Liam wants a sip of my coffee!

Love my heavy cream in coffee, especially since I accidentally learned it controls my appetite and weight and makes it easier for me to run. The practice of delaying meals to exercise is called Intermittent Fasting.
I feel less alone now that I know computer geeks use it to stay at their computers longer. It also explains why lately I sometimes can't find heavy cream at Wal-Mart, which sells it for only $3 a quart instead of $6 a quart at Kroger.
I mentioned my theory about no cream in Walmart to Bob from church. I had recently met his son Mike, a professional computer programmer (geek) who uses heavy cream in his coffee and practices Intermittent Fasting.
Later Bob visited his son, and curiosity made him peek in his son's fridge. Sure enough, standing tall were two quarts of Walmart heavy cream.
Think it's time for a cup of coffee now.

The Shepherd's Journal - Back From the Dead

Mary took a picture of an albino fawn just past the West entrance of the Kensington Metro Park in Michigan. It has a pink nose!

I am resurrecting my classic blog The Shepherd's Journal. I note it is still getting hits, and the majority is from overseas. The bot sites have been shot down by Google, so the stats are fairly accurate. I have fans in Russia, Finland, Australia, etc.
Just type in revmaddog1948 then blogspot.com in a search engine like so: revmaddog1948.blogspot.com.
I am also writing again. I have worked through the feverish delusion that writing will contribute to my wealth. But the urge to tell the stories where I see clearly God's connections is strong and deep. I am convinced it is from God.
I have been slow in expressing my thankfulness to encouraging friends. I will now use this wellspring of expression to more openly and quickly express my thanks to you, my friends. I am not perfect. I will overlook some. But I am working harder than I have before. Thank you, friends, again, for believing in me and especially believing in God and His Son Jesus Christ, the Living and Written Word.
I have settled on, possibly for the last time, the name of my future blog. I like the name because it incorporates my adventures into my spiritual side. The name is Riding Shotgun With Jesus: Seeing Clearly God's Connection.

Mary loves to take sky pictures! This one is after sunset at the Kensington Metro-park East Boat Launch