Another Christmas has come and gone. The week before Christmas members of our house began to get ill. Our youngest child became ill on Saturday the 17th. He had come down with the flue and ran a fever for the next week. The next youngest followed him into illness, he succumb to the fever on Monday or Tuesday. I fell ill on Friday.

Saturday, Lisa, Morgan and Christian all went to Her families Christmas party, but the little boys and I stayed home sick, though both the boys seemed to be improving. We did not make it to Church Sunday. I was terribly sick and the little boys were not well but noticeably improving.

They were well enough Christmas Eve to open gifts, so we did. That way “we sickly band” would not have to get up early on Christmas Morning. I felt a bit better on Christmas day. We had some company Christmas day night (mostly family) and we played a few games, drank some wine and feasted on seafood gumbo, slow cooked roast and their accessories.

Today I feel better than I have since Thursday, but I’m still not up to speed. I woke up with an earache, I still have a cough and my nose is still not functioning as it should, but I do have a lot more energy.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

After last week’s big events, this week is just another week. To start this week off, I woke early Sunday morning and fixed pain perdue (literally-- lost bread, but known in English as French toast) for breakfast. The kids always find this to be a great treat. Once everyone was fed, I left them to get ready for church.

With that done, I went meet my Pawpaw and Mrs Esther. They go to 8:30 Mass at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, which is the church I was baptised at. I found them sitting near the back, so I joined them. The service was good and Father McMillin gave a good homily. I went up during the Eucharist and receives the blessing, of Father McMillin (I don’t receive the host.

When Mass let out I rushed to Bethel and worshipped with my family. I arrived as everyone was reciting the Nicene Creed. Our soon to be pastor was in from Jackson, Ms. He delivered a very solid sermon. After worship we all came home.

Lisa had cooked a chicken and sausage gumbo the night before. It was great. We relaxed at home for a while, then I went with Christian to meet some other folks (most of them from Lake Charles Bible Church) to play flag football. I have not attempted to play football in at least a decade, and even now (Wednesday) I’m still quite sore, but We did have fun.

When we returned home the little boys were asking if we could go to the Sunday evening fellowship at the Duncan’s house. So the little boys and I went there for a few hours. I joined the men sitting around a fire in the backyard. This was after I was invited to fix a hot cup of “Caribbean Coco” to take with me. I fixed a steaming cup of coco with rum and crème de cocoa. We returned to our hose around seven.

Monday I had to attend to union business at the hall, and since then I have been off work recovering from my football experience.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

This has been a momentous week for me. On Tuesday I met Danny (Morgan’s Beaux) as I was walking to my truck. I was running to the supermarket to get a few items for supper. I invited Danny to come with me, which he accepted. We visited on the way there and back, when we got home he came in, had a beer and visited for a while, then as he was leaving he asked if he could speak with me outside. I followed him outside, he hem and hawed around and then he thin asked if he could marry my daughter.

I was expecting that this was the purpose. I asked him if he believed the Nicene Creed, and he said “Yes sir, I do.” And I responded, if you are baptised and believe the Creed than you may marry my daughter. Danny is Roman Catholic. I have problems with some RCC teachings, but I am not hostile to Rome as many Protestants are. I do have a good bit to say about this on my As I See It blog.

That was hard enough and today Christian signed up for the Navy (he leaves in June). I was in the Navy and have high regard for it, but he joined up to be a SEAL. That concerns me, but if I were his age I would be doing the same thing. I had wanted to tryout for the seals after boot camp, but the Navy would not let people with my job designation even try out. They were very short handed for my Job then.

I fear for my son. I love him dearly, and will pray none stop from here on out.

I pray that the Lord will bless Morgan and Christian.

In Christ,Kenith

It’s been a while since I’ve written for the blog, but tonight I am in a writing mood. I’m feeling a bit melancholy at this moment. This is mainly due to the fact that my oldest son, who just turned twenty, has gone by bus to Shreveport to take the tests necessary to join the U.S. Navy.

I am a Navy veteran myself and have high regard for military service. When I was his age I had already been in the service for a year and a half, but still I can help think about his going away and how much I will miss seeing him.

Christian has grown into a handsome, well proportioned and intelligent young man and I have to remember that he is a man. I love him dearly and hate thinking that he will be hundreds or thousands of miles from home. When I was his age I was on my way to Japan and thought nothing of it. It was very exciting to go places that I had strange exotic place some of which I had never even heard of.

I remember my dad, who is an Air Force veteran, telling me, after I returned from my four years of service, how he was seriously affected when I joined up. I don’t know what Christian will do tomorrow. I don’t know what they will offer him or if he will sign up to go, but he wants to go and will likely do so. I feel at a loss and he has not even joined up yet.

I pray God’s blessing and care will go with him (and all my children) in everything he does.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

After months of trials and tribulations without a complete kitchen, we have finally rejoined the modern world. This last week our stove became functional as did our dishwasher. We have been trying to get the gas turned on at the house for over a month. We called CenterPoint Entergy four times and each time the pertinent information was asked for and given only to find the next time we called to hear those unforgettable words “You are not in our system.”

Each time I called Centerpoint it took 20 minutes of listening to a machine pressing the correct number button so that you could hear another recording with more selections. AAAUUGGHHH!!!!!!!

So on Tuesday, my first day off in two weeks, I went to the local Centerpoint office hoping to have better luck than I had had so far on the phone. All went well and Tuesday a man showed up at the house with a gas meter and by that afternoon we had gas and a working stove. The next morning I cooked bacon and eggs for Lisa and the kids (and me too). It was so nice to eat a stove cooked meal in our own house.

Wednesday was also Morgan’s birthday. The family and a number of her friends went to Johnny Carino’s to eat and celebrate. Morgan had a party at the house last night. Last year the Hurricane ruined her birthday, so Lisa told her she could invite some friends over and celebrate, so she had a costume party.

I was at work and missed the whole thing, but she had a good turnout and everybody had a good time.

I joined Library Thing. It’s a website that will catalogue your books and show you who else has books like you. I’m very excited and can’t wait to get all my books listed in the system. I’ve listed a little over 200 books so for, but I still have a long way to go. My books are listed HERE.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Tomorrow evening I will finish these fourteen days at work without a day off. I did make the swing from night shift to day shift, which is always very hard for me. I worked off at 6 am one morning and had to return to work at 6 am the next morning. I find that quick turnaround to be brutal, so I have a prescription of ambien to help when I have to switch like that.

When I work off in the morning I have to sleep. I will usually wake up around 11 to 11:30. On my last day I try to get up and function, otherwise I go back to sleep until 2 to 2:30 pm.

On my first night off it is always hard to go to bed at a decent hour, but when I have to go to work the next morning I must get some sleep. Ambien does the trick. Thankfully this does not happen very often, so a prescription will last a good while.

Friday, Lisa drove to Dallas. Morgan (Mo) and Elisabeth took care of the little boys after school until I go home. After work that evening, TK came by to have a beer and converse on the porch for a while. Then Woody and a little later MK and his son also dropped by.

The four of us had a good visit on the porch. We drank Killians and some red wine also. We talked until well after 9 pm. When they left I got ready for bed and crashed (Lisa and I spoke earlier while the company was here).

Saturday, Mo took the boys to their Reaux Reaux’s house to spend the night. Since I was going to be all alone, I called TK to see if he was interested in joining me a Chili’s Restaurant after work. Chili’s is close to my house and it is on TK’s way home from work.

TK met me there. We had a good meal, several margaritas and good talk. After eating I went home. Woody and Elisabeth were there. I said hello, got cleaned up and went to bed. I read a little bit in Calvin and then slept until my alarm went off this morning.

Tomorrow, Lisa will be returning home and I will finish this two week stint of working 12 hours a day with no days off. I can’t wait for my lovely wife to return home and for me to be off work for a few days.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Ps. Yesterday was opening day for squirrel season. I really would like to do some hunting!!!!!

Last week was a typical week for me. I worked days until Wednesday. I have been off work since Wednesday evening. Thursday and Friday I did work around the house. We finally got our counter tops installed so I was able to run electricity to the island in the kitchen, and hooked up the sink.

Saturday, I took the little boys to Longville. I spent most of the time up there working with Pop. We were hauling stumps and brush from the field (by tractor) and stacking it all up to burn.

Daddy gave the kids each a ride next to him on the tractor and then they rode on the brush wagon. They did help some, and had a great time riding around on the wagon behind the tractor.

Saturday evening the little boys spent the night at their Taunt Rhonda’s house, so Lisa and I could go to Manning Mania. They had a good band (which was made up of a number of the Mannings and a number of their friends). They had good music going all night, including stint of my favourite Cajun Music. We visited with folks and danced a bit. Lisa and I “both passed a good time” at the Manning’s party.

Sunday morning Lisa and I got up and made the 9 am worship at Bethel Presbyterian Church. That is where we picked up the little boys. We then came home for a bit and next went to the Carrier’s house for their daughter’s birthday party.

Today, I got up with Lisa and help get the boys ready for school. Piddled around the house, at lunch with Lisa at the Dairy Barn (where we saw Izzy and Damone) then I took a nap. The little boys woke me when they got home from school. We did homework. They both read to me and then I came to work.

This is my first night of graveyards. I had a 2.5 hour nap, so I should be ok.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

This past week most of my evenings were spent at home supervising the little boys as they were doing their homework. My days were mostly spent working on or around the house and garage.

Friday night, isa and I joined our niece, Elisabeth and her fiancée (Woody), and other family and friends at a local Restaurant to celebrate Elisabeth's birthday. We had good food, plenty of wine and lots of fun.

I worked last weekend and so I missed worship services and I'm working today and missing worship services again. I did attend daily mass at Immacuate Conception Catholic Church. I've become a fairly common visitor there.


I haven't read much this week, but I am listening to lectures and books on CD. I am listening to an abridged version of Boccaccio's Decameron and I hope to start a series of lectures from the Teaching Company about Islam, but I have to finish a couple of more lectures on Shakespeare first.



Well, I have to get back to work.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I think we will finally, after many long months, complete our kitchen this week. I have one little piece of sheetrock to put on the ceiling. We’ve been waiting on a plumber to run a gas line to the kitchen. I would have run it myself but it is not legal for me to do so.

I did do much of the work myself, which is a somewhat comical story that I will write on in the future.

On another item, I’ve recently rediscovered the The Teaching Company at the Sulphur Library. In the last month I’ve listened to 24 lectures on the United States and the Middle East: 1914 to 9/11 by Salim Yaqub. The lectures were very good and filled in a number of holes in my knowledge. Prof. Yaqub, I think, did try to be fairly objective, did have more of an Arab slant on the subject, which was interesting to hear.

I’ve also listened to 24 lectures on Famous Romans by J. Rufus Fears. These too were very good. Pro. Fears has an animated lecture style that keeps you interested in the subject.

I am now half way through the series by Pro. Peter Saccio titled Shakespeare: The Word and Action. The lectures have been fascinating. I’ve learned a good bit about Shakespeare’s writing that I knew. He too, like the other teachers mentioned above is a solid lecturer. The folks at The Teaching Company are putting out solid stuff. I can not recommend them too highly.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Things are plodding along at our household. Our two oldest children are in college and the little boys are in grammar school. Our evenings at home are spent doing homework with the boys and then their reading to me from one of their books.

Our work on the house is once again come to a near standstill, because we have to have a plumber to run and certify a gas line to the kitchen. This has got everything else held-up. I guess I will start back on the garage and try to make a little progress on it.

Friday night was “Judyfest.” Judy E. is a friend and it was her birthday. Several years ago a group of us went to DI’s Restaurant (near Basile) for this occasion and Tommy K. coin the event with the name “Judyfest” and so it has remained.

Lisa, me, the little boys, our niece Elisabeth (who has moved in with us) and her fiancée all went, as did many of the folks from Covenant Presbyterian Church (including Pastor Mark and his wife Peggy), and a number of friends from the refinery (most of whom also attend Covenant Church). I think we all “passed a good time.” Lisa and I danced for a number of songs. I had to request that the band play my favourite Cajun song to jitterbug to -- La Porte d'en Arrière by D.L Menard.

Good food, cold beer, good friends and good music at DI’s on a Friday night now that is a good way to “Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler.”

Today we went to church at Covenant. It was a very good service; Pastor Mark is a gifted preacher.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Last Wednesday evening I went to go to Baton Rouge on Union business. Some time back I met a Pastor of The Chapel on Campus (at LSU) on Christian Forums. I called him (Dr. Steve) and told him I when I was coming. He invited me to meet him at the church. I did and he gave me a tour of their facilities then we went to Chimes Restaurant for a leisurely supper. We ate (I had crawfish etouffee) and talked theology etc… for a couple of hours.

It was a pleasure meeting Dr. Steve and talking with him. He had gone to seminary with many of the theologians I’ve read over the years.

The next day our union business finished up early and so I called David H. in Lafayette to see if we could get together for dinner (lunch in modern lingo). I meet him and his daughter Sarah at a local restaurant. This too was a good time. Sarah will be leaving soon for State College, PA. She hill be working with Reformed University Fellowship at Penn State.

The rest of my time, since the last blog has been spent working of the house, cutting grass, and sending time with my family.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

It is Sunday and I am at work. Last Sunday my family was out of town and I was by my lonesome. My friend Craig (CC) has been inviting me to worship at First Baptist in Moss Bluff, as has Lisa's brother (OB) and his wife, Jamie. I took this opportunity to worship with them. I attended both Sunday school and Worship services, and I enjoyed the experiance of worshipping the Lord there with family and friends.

Things have been going well lately. Our house is slowly coming back together. We now have unstained cabinets and they do not yet have countertops, but the cabinets are in and we are making headway. We also got our new appliances in, except for the refrigerator, they are all still in boxes, but they are at the house.

I hope to finish my part in the house work this evening after work. We have someone coming to tape and float the sheetrock and he will also be staining the cabinets when he finishes with the sheetrock.

For fun, I wrote a response to one of A.R. Minian’s replies to my As I see It Blog. Dr. Minian is a fictional character invented by my close friend T.K. A.R. is a hyper-liberal, politically correct, theologian who critiques my writings (all for fun with tongue-in-cheek). He can be scathing, but he is never to be taken seriously.

Dr. Minian now has his own blogsite that he uses to deliver his broadsides. I never respond to Minian’s letters, except to laugh and past them along to others. Still, I have been desirous to meet and do battle with him in like manner. I don’t think I can compete with A.R. for very long, because I don’t have T.K.’s ability, but here is my first attempt at verbal swordplay with the great Dr. Minian:

A Response to the Minian

This letter is a response to the many barbs and missiles cast my way by the hideous and high heretic – Dr. A.R. Minian. I have, at long last, decided that it is past time that should I respond to his pedantic, perversities of pedagogic literations, which he has aimed at Reformation theology, my friends and me. He has written a litany of less than lucid letters for no other purpose but to besmirch and demean Christian orthodoxy in general and my own good name in particular.

A. R. is the self-proclaimed gendarme of doctrinal distortion and denigration. He is the perpetrator and promoter of perverse and putrid punditry, and while he is not lacking in eloquence, he is lacking in veracity. His profundity of peevishness is beyond all measure.

My good friend TK, who knows A.R. personally, has tried, unsuccessfully, to restrain and correct the many maledictions of the meandering monk of mediocrity, but he has had no success. Mr. Minian is on the “highway to hell” and is not content to get there alone, but wishes to recruit as many weak-minded men, who are made into his minions of theological midgetry, when they embrace his malevolent, malcontented, maelstrom of obtuse irrationality that he calls "clear thinking."

The words written by Martin Luther in response to Erasmus of Rotterdam’s Diatribe are much more fitting when they are used to describe the many epistles of the Minian. A.R. should be ashamed “for having defiled your most beautiful and ingenious language with such vile trash; and I feel an indignation against the matter also, that such unworthy stuff should be borne about in ornaments of eloquence so rare; which is as if rubbish, or dung [the polite translation], should he carried in vessels of gold and silver.”

I remain ever ready to defend the sacred truth and do battle with purveyors of perversity such as A.R. Minian.

Deo Vindice,
Kenith

++++++++
There, you have my meagre attempt to meet A.R. and do battle with him on his own terms. I’ve already heard from Tommy and he says that A.R. is eager to reply.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Our house is finally starting to come together. We had some of the cabinets installed and the island last week. Part of the ceiling sheet rock is installed and as soon as Lisa chooses the lights that will go over the Island, I will be able to finish installing most of the rock.

For my days off I mostly worked on the house. I also cut the grass a couple of times, because it is growing so fast do to all the rain we’ve been getting.

All the children are doing ok. One of our nieces has moved in with us. She sold her house (it is a sellers market right now) and will be living with us until her marriage next May.

MK returned from visiting his family in upstate New York. He brought back some wines from the Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake) wineries that he visited while he was up there. HE came over last night and brought one of the reds. It was a very light red wine. The reds up there have a good deal less tannins than do the California reds.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Since my last post I’ve gone to work at the refinery and I’ve worked around the house a good deal. We’ve finally turned the corner and are starting to put things back together in the kitchen. We are still held up by the cabinets. The cabinetmaker called today and said he should be able to install the cabinets this weekend. (Hooray)

This morning I woke with one of my all to frequent earaches. Still, I dressed and went to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Maplewood for worship. They have a daily 8:30 AM service. I occasionally attend mass during the week. I do this on those weeks when I am unable to worship at Bethel or Covenant Presbyterian churches.

Theologically I am Reformed and have many doctrinal differences with the Church of Rome, but I am do regard the Catholic Church as a true Christian Church. And so I worship there when I cannot worship in a Reformed Church.

I recently finished reading the existing writings of Justin Martyr. Now I’ve started reading Irenaeus. A Roman Catholic friend at work, with whom I've had a number of discussions, asked me "So when are you going to become a Catholic [again]." This was after I had mentioned about what I'd read in the Early Church Fathers. I told him that it would not be before the Catholic Church formally rejected Unum Sanctum and Vatican I, neither of which it can do without gutting its doctrine of infallibility.

This was part of a very friendly, somewhat jocular, conversation.

I’ve also started reading Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America by Colin Calloway. I am on the second chapter and so far it is excellent.

The little boys and I are home and I need to get to work.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Recently I went to Washington DC for a convention of United Steal Workers Union, to which I belong. I was one of two members of our local who made the trip. The other member was Claude S. (our local president).

On the last evening Claude and I were joined by a fellow from Baton Rouge on a bus tour of the historic parts of the city. I am big on history and found was excited that I was finally going to see a few sights. The three of us had a number of interesting discussions about history during our tour.

That evening the three of us ate decided to eat at a Lebanese Restaurant that was near the hotel. While eating the gentleman from Baton Rouge said something to the effect that the United States were founded on people not bringing their religious beliefs into the political realm. Of course I had to strongly disagree with him.

In a polite and respectful discussion I pointed out some items that clearly demolished his position. He knew his statement was inaccurate and so he quickly retreated from his statement.

I have put a short article about this item on As I see It.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Today is a wonderful day and a very sad day for me. 30 June is my brother Gerry’s birthday and so my mind is filled with sweet memories of him. Today is also heartbreaking because I remember how much I miss having him here.

Gerry died on July 6, 2003 after a three year battle with cancer. He was a good brother and a fine man. It is impossible to know the “WHY” in his death, but we bow before our sovereign God and say “I don’t understand Lord, but thy will be done.”

I am confident that we will be together again because of the saving grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

We lived through the deluge. I was awakened during the night by a relentless rumbling of thunder, and then dosed back off. One of the little boys woke me around 6:30 am. Shortly after that my brother Terry called and asked if we were flooded. I asked why. He told me that they had heard on the news that there was serious flooding in some parts of Sulphur.

I looked outside the front door and the water was up to the sidewalk. There was almost a foot of water in the street, but we were still high and dry.

I was supposed to fly to Washington D.C. this morning with Claude, our union president, but all the flights were canceled because of the weather. I am home and the next available flight that we could catch was an 8:55 am flight from Houston tomorrow, so I will be driving to Houston in the Morning.

I have never been to Washington before and I’m pretty excited about going there. The bad news is our main sight seeing time would have been tomorrow before things kicked off. If I can see the Constitution I will consider my sight seeing a great success.

I am also excited because Claude and I are supposed to meet with our congressman and at least one of our Senators (Mary Landrieu), but I have contacted Senator Vitter’s office and I hope we can meet with him as well.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Its Saturday here at work, and it’s been very busy for a weekend. The last two days (Thursday and Friday) were very busy as well, but that is expected for weekdays.

My days off were spent doing normal things. I cut grass, worked on the kitchen, took the little boys swimming. One of them had his birthday last Monday. We celebrated his birthday over the weekend. He had some friends spend the night Friday night. The little boy’s MK and his son and I went to see the movie Cars on Saturday and we had folks over on Sunday for BBQ and a birthday party.

I took the boy swimming at the pool (which at a park near the house) several times since school let out. They enjoy swimming and I have always loved swimming. This pool is pretty big and there is deep end with two diving boards.

The times we’ve gone there has not been a big crowd and I’ve been able to swim some laps. I need to exercise more often.

I’ve been reading the writings of Justin Martyr and have placed a couple of items about him on the As I See It blog.

Coram Deo,
Kenith
PS. My old friend (nemesis) A.R. Minian has struck again. You can read his latest blog comments by clicking HERE!!!

I finished my daylight shift last Wednesday. Thursday I did stuff around the house. That evening I had a group of friends over. We sat out on the porch, drank a few beers and talked. The group included TK, MK, Kevin, Gary, Ker, Josh, Pastor Mark, and me (It was a Presbyterian posse, except for Josh who is not “yet” convinced about infant baptism). It was a great time, I would like to be able to do this now and then.

Friday I meet Josh P. at DeAngelos for dinner (lunch). This is one of my favourite restaurants in Lake Charles. After that I went home and picked up the little boys, including MK’s son, who had spent the night, and the four of us took off for Longville.

In Longville the boys swam, while I visited with Pop. After they where finished swimming we headed for the pond to fish. We had only fished for a short while when it began to rain, so that was cut short and we return to my parents and visited some more.

After we returned home, Josh called; he had asked me earlier if I would be interested in going fishing in the gulf Saturday. I told him that I would be at his house a 4:30 am. I had never been fishing off shore in the Gulf before, so I was pretty excited.

I am a US Navy veteran, and have spent many days at sea. I’ve experienced two typhoons (both near the Philippines) while at sea. Every time I was on land for a few months between cruises, I always got sick the first day out at sea. After that first day I never got sick again, but no matter how calm the seas, I always through up the first day out.

I have not been on a boat in the ocean for many years, and so I was a bit concerned. Mk gave me a prescription for sea sick patches, and I put one behind my ear in hopes of not ruining the fishing trip.

Saturday morning, we put in at the Cameron jetties and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico. We went out about thirty-six miles out in to the gulf. We pulled up to an oil rig and hooked on to it. The fist time I dropped my hook in the water I caught a red snapper almost immediately. We caught sixteen snapper, and a couple of ling (cobia), in no time at all.

For the first hour we fished with frozen cigar minnows, the snapper had quit biting and so we decided to switch to artificial bate and try for more ling. Josh gave me a new rod and I began to thread the line through the eyes of the rod. That was a big mistake. I could feel the sickness coming on at a mad rush. I turned and throw up off the side of the boat. Josh saw me and was surprised, because I had done so well up until this point. I heaved a couple of times and set my eyes on the horizon and felt much better.

I never felt bad again after that. It was a great trip. We caught four dolphin (Mahi Mahi) and a Spanish Mackerel. I also hooked a small shark but we cut the line and let it go.

It was a great day. After we got back, cleaned the boat and the fish, I went home and grilled some of my portion of the fish. It was great. We ate red snapper, ling and mahi mahi for supper. I opened a good chardonnay to go with the fish. After that I bathed and crashed. I was really tired.

Sunday, we worshiped at Bethel. Monday evening I started back to work on graveyards.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Lisa called me and said that the couch see ordered for our bay window was delivered today. She was very excited.

I spent most of the Memorial Day weekend at work ( Here is information on Confederate Memorial Days). It was a mostly quite this weekend, but we did have a few gremlins to rundown and fix. Some of the fellows cooked this weekend. Mitch and Chuck cooked red beans and sausage on Sunday and then Big-dog (Marlon) cooked shepherd pie for us on Memorial Day.

I took down my Acadian Flag when I got home Sunday Evening, and hung the American flag for Memorial Day.

When I got home Memorial Day evening, I found Lisha and George, along with Woody and Elisabeth already sitting on the porch. Woody had the pit going and there was cold beer in the ice chest. We ate good food, with some good cold beer and sat of the porch and visited until about 10:30.

George provided some Fat Tire Amber Ale. It was a, but you can’t get it here in Louisiana; you have to go to Texas to get it. I think I will pick some up next time I go to Specks in Beaumont.

I finished reading A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, by Stephen Hawkins. I am a Christian theist and have a radically different worldview than Dr. Hawkins has, but I very much enjoyed the book and found it very interesting.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Last week I started back working on the house. I finished pulling up the old wood flooring in the new, expanded kitchen area and I then began laying the ceramic tiles, that Lisa had picked out. These are 18” tiles and they're going down fairly quickly. I started working my nights shift before I could get them finished, but do I plan to get finished with this section of floor after I work off early next week.

One evening last week TK, Kevin C. and Pastor Mark came over. We sat on the porch, chatted and had a good evening of conversation (mostly theological). TK and Kevin brought a couple of choice beers for us to enjoy. They brought a blue label Chimay and a La Fin Du Monde. Chimay is one of my favourite beers and I enjoyed the La Fin Du Monde as well.

Temple Sinai had its annual book sale last weekend, and I had to go to that. I only bought six books this year. Last year I mopped up, but this year I was a bit more frugal (besides I have purchased a lot of books in the last year or so and many of them remain un-read).

I did pick up a copy of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories. We already have a copy of this wonderful book (which I read to Morgan and Christian when they were small), but I could not pass this book up. I started reading it to the little boys. I’ve read three of the stories to them this week. They are really fun stories.

Mk and I took the boys to see Mission Impossible III last weekend and he took the boys to see Over the Hedge this weekend.

Our niece Elisabeth graduated from Mc Neese last weekend, so we spent all Saturday afternoon at Woody’s house celebrating (Woody and Elisabeth are engaged to be married). I was the designated cook (Bar-BQ). There was plenty of food, and refreshments. Sa far as I could tell everyonel had a good time .

Kenith

The refinery sent me and half of the Rescue team for our annual 40 hour training to Philadelphia, PA. Our hotel and the training were both just south of the airport. It was a great trip.

We left the refinery at 2 AM Saturday morning (April 29). We drove to Houston to catch our flight. There was a front coming through at the exact time we were to take off and so we spent an hour and a half setting on the plane out on the tarmac.

After we arrived in Philly and settled into the hotel, we piled into our two vans and headed for downtown. We walked around to get the feel of the city. The next morning Frank, Debra (Frank’s wife) Ben and I went to 10th Presbyterian Church for morning services. The Rev. Eric Alexander , of Scotland, was the guest pastor and he was finishing up their annual Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. It was a beautiful service, and a very good sermon on the Perseverance of the Saints.

After worship services we walked around for a while before returning to the hotel to pick up Bob. We got Bob on board and we headed back to town for lunch. We ate Philly Cheese Steaks at Geno’s Steaks. The food was good.

We then started looking around. We were able to tour Independence Hall. These was, for me, sacred grown. To know that I was standing where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written was an awesome experience for me.

Monday morning one group of the team headed for New York City and one group headed for Valley Forge and Gettysburg. Of course I was with the latter group. We took our time driving. Valley Forge was a beautiful. After touring it we headed west toward Gettysburg. We took the scenic route through Amish country, which was beautiful country and very picturesque.

At Gettysburg we took a three hour CD guided tour through the park. This too was an awesome experience. The Louisiana memorial in the park is beautiful and very moving. I looked out over the field of Pickett’s Charge. I could see it in my mind’s eye. WOW, so sad.

Tuesday we started our training. It was very good. The folks at S.T.A.R.T. Rescue did a fine job and I thoroughly enjoyed the training, even though we worked hard from Tuesday thru Friday.

Friday after noon I was sick and just hung around the hotel after training. Saturday morning I felt a little better and again our group divided up and one group headed for New York and the other (Frank, Debra, Bob, Ben and me) headed to some local wineries, Brandywine Battlefield and another tour of Amish country.

Sunday we headed for the airport and boarded our flight to Houston. We ate supper at the SaltGrass Steak House. Yummm.

Even though I had had a good time, I was so glad to get home to Lisa and the children.

Kenith

Last week I was on vacation, which means I worked around the house a good bit. I also made it to my youngest son's Easter party at school and I went fishing on the Sabine River one morning with my neighbour. We got skunked on the fishing, but I did see a pileated woodpecker and two ospreys. One osprey was flying with a fish in its talons and the other was sitting in a tree above the river. I hated not catching the fish, but I was very pleased with the bird sightings.

I also took my little boys and MK’s son fishing at my sister’s pond. We fished a bit and swam a in the pond as well. We caught a few bass and some bluegill as well. For lunch I broke out some of the MRE’s that I had saved from the hurricane aftermath. On this trip I got to visit with my sister and parents. All seem to be doing fine. The boys had a good time; they loved the fishing, swimming and they also got to chase my parents’ chickens.

I did grill two days (Fri & Sat last) The Seeps came over Saturday and Woody and Elisabeth came by the day before. On both days we had good food and drinks (beer and wine).

Easter Sunday we went to church at Bethel. Pastor Duncan filled the pulpit and delivered a very good sermon. After Church I took a nap, and then I got up and joined my family, along with most of Lisa’s family at Tracy and J’s (Lisa’s sister’s house). I was able to visit and watch the Easter egg hunt, before I had to go to work that night for some unwanted overtime.

I am now working my regular shift and have had two very busy days. I hope we have a quiet weekend at the plant. It would be nice to come to work and not have to jump through hoops for most of the day.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

My last day to not work was the night (Saturday before last) that I took off for my niece Recie’s wedding to Paul. I then worked Sunday night to Monday morning, slept until noonish. Worked around the house and spent time with the family. I was able to get back to sleep some time after one o’clock Tuesday morning and was up about 4:45 AM to start four days of overtime.

I finished my overtime on Friday afternoon and started my regular shift Saturday morning. This did give me as “seventh day” last week which means that Sunday I was paid double time. I hate not having my days off, but at least I will be well compensated this time around.

Recie and Paul had a nice wedding service at First Baptist Church in Longville. Brother Stewart did a great job. His comments about what marriage is all about were right on target. Both Morgan and Christian were in the wedding. Morgan was one of Recie’s bride’s maids and Christian was Paul’s best man.

I thing we all had a pretty good time at the reception afterwards. It was a Baptist wedding, but more a Presbyterian reception, with heavy Cajun influences, so we had music, dancing and a moderate amount of alcohol (a keg of beer and some stuff for mixed drinks) and plenty of food.

(NOTE: To find out what a good old Reformed wedding reception/celebration is really like I recommend you read Drinking With Calvin and Luther by Jim West. It is a fun and informative read. Even my Baptist co-worker "CC" Cudd says it is a great book.)

I think the South Louisiana custom of pinning cash to the bride’s vale in order to dance with her (women pin cash to the grooms coat to dance with him also) is a great tradition. I don’t know where the tradition comes from, but it does give the new couple a good bit of ready cash for the honeymoon.

The big event last week was Christian’s Labrador retriever had eight puppies (6 yellow, 2 black).

My evenings last week were fairly normal. I helped the little boys with their homework, they read to me, etc… We did go out to eat a few times, because the kitchen is gutted and we have no stove or oven.

Mk and Pastor Mark came over Friday night. We sat on the porch and talked and drank a little wine. Then Mk and I went to J. Priola’s to watch the LSU vs. UCLA game. The food was good as were the drinks, but LSU got hammered.

I work two more days and then I am on vacation.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Today was another workday around the house. I spent much of the morning crawling in the attic putting in insulation that I discovered “missing (it was never installed) after the hurricane.

I also visited with my bro-in-law Brian who stopped by for a while. He really helped me out with my plans to run gas to the kitchen. I was planning one thing but he pointed out a much better way.

After Brian left, and I finished the attic work I then installed ceiling fans, one in Christian’s room and one on the porch. I also visited with Morgan’s boyfriend (Danny) who came over with his new pet ferret. Morgan recently started working at Starbucks and tonight she brought a pound of freshly ground coffee home.

After I said prayers with the little boys and put them to bed, I went to Books-A-Million to spend a gft card that I received from there as an early birthday present. I purchased five books that I am excited about. Here are their titles:
Enemy at the Gate: The Battle For Stalingrad by William Craig
The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror by Bernard Lewis
The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
And last and certainly not least—
Beyond Good and Evil: A Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future by Friedrich Nietzsche

Oh, I also received Joseph Smith: A Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman from the History Book Club. It is a biography of the founder of Mormanism.

After returning home with my new treasure of books, I visited with Lisa for a while, kissed her goodnight, made a pot of coffee (the freshly ground starbucks coffee) and settled in on the couch, coffee in hand, and read the introductions to my newest books.

Now I will pour me a small bit of bourbon, go back to my reading and then sleep.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Friday after work, my youngest son and I went to the Duncan’s for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Lisa stayed home with our other minor son who was running a fever. There were a number of people from both Bethel and Covenant Churches. There was also good food and drink, Irish beer, Irish whiskey, grog and other refreshments.

Pastor Mark gave a talk on the life of Patrick, that was very good. I read Patrick’s Confessions a number of years ago and have loved this wonderful godly man ever since then.

Yesterday Lisa gave me a surprise for my birthday. We got up about eight and got ready and drove to south Lake Charles. I was trying to figure out what she had planned, but was not able to do so until we had past everything in town that I could think of. I said “the only thing left is the airport; are we going flying?”

That is what we did. Lisa had booked us a flight on a small Cessna plane. We went for a nice flight over Lake Charles and Sulphur. We flew over and around the house and could see some of the residual hurricane damage from the air. In some of the woods, it looked like more than half the trees were down. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yesterday evening Lisa and I meet Duke and Donna at the L'Auberge du Lac Casino. We had a dinner date at the Jack Daniel’s Grill. I was very disappointed in the food and the atmosphere. My steak was overdone and the waitresses’ outfits were trashy (I had heard this already) and a number of them were a bit hefty for the outfits to be attractive. We had wanted to check out the food, we have. It was way too pricey for the quality (or lack there of), so we will be going back to Mazen’s when we want an extra-special meal.

This morning I had planned to attend mass with my grandfather and St. Margaret’s Catholic Church (this is the church that I was baptised in) before going to Covenant with the family, but I did not get up in time. We did make it to Covenant in Sulphur and then came home for the continued ox in the ditch scenario. I did a little sheetrock work in the kitchen. I shut this down to visit with MK we he and his son came to visit. After that Elisabeth and Woody came over and we visited for a while.

Aas I write this blog Lisa is asleep in bed, one of the little boys is asleep as well and the other has not yet fallen asleep, Morgan and Christian are at work. I have been sitting here typing and sipping on some Irish whiskey. I will finish my drink and go to bed also.

It was a good day.
Coram Deo,
Kenith

Saturday night Lisa and I joined our niece Elisabeth, her fiancée Woody and their friends at Mazen’s Restaurant to celebrate Woody’s birthday. We had a great time and the food, as always, was great. I had two small filet mignons in a triple wine reduction sauce, topped with crabmeat and another awesome sauce on top of that.

Sunday we worshiped at Bethel PCA and then I took the little boys to hear BeauSoleil. They were great. Sunday evening MK came over and we sat on the porch and both waxed eloquently about theology and every other subject. We were far more brilliant after we had consumed a couple of glasses of wine each.

Monday evening my mom called me and informed me that my nonc (uncle) Allen LaFleur had died that morning. Nonc Allen was 81 and had lived a long life. I was able to get funeral leave and so Tuesday I chauffeured my Pawpaw and Mrs. Esther (my step grandmother) to Basile to pay their respects. I saw many family members that I had not seen for years, and I heard lots of Cajun French. It is the first language of Pawpaw, Nonc Allen and all my older Cajun kinfolk.

I always turn introspective when I am around the old Cajuns. I think of the language and culture that will soon disappear when they pass from the scene for good. I would do anything to save the language that is the Cajun culture.

Today, I once again made a pilgrimage to Basile to attend Nonc Allen’s funeral. Before the funeral, my cousin (Cuzan) Chris and I went to the cemetery and visited the graves of our grandmother, his dad, our great grand parents and other kinsmen.

I saw more cousins at the funeral home and visited with them, and then we attended the funeral mass at the Catholic Church. After mass we went to the gravesite and said our goodbyes and shed our tears. Our hope is in Christ.

After the funeral I drove to Eunice and bought a couple of small accordions for the little boys. Pawpaw plays the accordion and the fiddle. He is the last musician in the family. I would like to give the little boys the chance to learn music. We will see what happens.

Coram Deo,Kenith

I finally got a chance to shoot my new pistol a CZ-52. CC and I went out to his deer least to do some shooting. I took the CZ-52 an old 22 revolver and my SKS. CC took four pistols, his SKS and his Benelli 12 gauge.

We had a good time, shot several hundred rounds of ammunition and at the end of the trip I purchased the Benelli from. My son Christian really like the shotgun, so now it’s his and I will have to get me another one sometime in the future.

I worked off of daylight shift on Monday evening. I came home and got the porch ready. Tk, Pastor Mark and MK all came over and we spent a few hours on the porch talking next by the fire. We again discussed all the world’s problems, and especially those in the PCA. My little boys joined us the porch for a little while, but soon became bored and left us for more exciting adventures elsewhere.

Our youngest son woke me at about 3:30 in the morning complaining of and earache. I gave him medicine and got him back to bed. We got up a little after 7 on Mardi Gras morning and he still complained his ear hurting.

He did feel well enough by late morning to go to the first parade in Lake Charles. So the two little boys and I headed to town for the parade. We met up with CC and his two little ones and also with Lisa S. and her youngest son and a friend.

The children had a good time at the parade, but they weren’t overwhelmed with beads and trinkets. Some of the floats threw a fair amount of stuff and others seemed to just be there for the ride. Still, the kids had fun and that is what counts.

After the parade, the boys and I joined Lisa (my wife) and went to eat. I’ve ripped out the stove, oven and one wall (so far) in our kitchen, so we are not cooking a lot right now.

We came home, worked on the house for a while and then I got the BBQ grill ready to grill our supper. This is when our youngest son relapsed a bit and we found him to have a low fever.

The Seeps were going to come over for supper, but they cancelled because of illness there also.

That was our Mardi Gras.
Kenith

The last time I posted here I was suffering from a staph on my wrist that caused my whole left forearm and hand to swell and turn red. It was painful and then it spread to my nose, which also swelled way beyond its normal size and hurt like hell.

I am still taking antibiotics for the infections and they are much better. I still have some redness and a small sore on my wrist, but the rest of me is back to normal.

Last week, while well into my recovery I did get to an evening on the porch with Pastor Mark and MK. We enjoyed some fine wine and cigars, while we discussed what ails the PCA and the world. MK is my doctor, so this porch event was part of my healing process and part of a doctor’s house call.

Gary J. came over one afternoon, after I had recuperated enough to start working around the house again, this gave me an excuse to shut my work down and take a beer break on the porch. I did have to assure him the MK had given his "professional/medical" ok for such a break.

Last night we celebrated Lisa’s birthday. Lisa (the other Lisa) and MK, Donna and Duke and Lisa and me went to Mazen’s for Supper. The food, as always, was awesome, and MK brought a couple of very good wines (Midnight Cellars Syrah, 2002)) as well.

We had a great time. MK and Duke had not meet before, but they seemed to hit it off. It was lots of fun.

I also purchased a pistol since the last blog, but have not yet had the time to shoot it. I also tore out a wall in the kitchen (this is part of our hurricane repair/remodelling work combo). I will be tearing out another wall this coming set of days off, and (with Lisa’s permission) I hope to buy a 12 gauge Benelli shotgun from CC.

Gary is going on straight nights for the next 30 days or so, so I won’t have anyone to carpool with until after the turnaround in his unit is finished.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Today has been slow for me. I have a staph infection on my left wrist. It hurt like the dickens yesterday and is still sore today, but is getting better. I’m taking some heavy antibiotics to knock these things out.

Yesterday CC, Gary J. and I went to Beaumont, Tx. We made a trip to Gander Mountain and Spec’s Liquor Store. I picked up a new real and some tackle at Gander Mountain and some beer and a fifth of Knob Creek Bourbon.

Today I went to the bought a new pistol (CZ-52) from a friend’s pawnshop. Now I need to head to Longville so I can shoot it.

The boy’s and I went to the Seeps for a few minutes this morning and cane home to say good-bye to Lisa she and the Lisa Seep have gone to Houston for a class. They will be back sometime tomorrow.

MK and I hope to get together and sip on some wine this evening, if I feel better. It would be nice to sit on the porch, with a nice fire going in the fire pot, to visit and enjoy a good read wine.

My parents are in Arizona this week. They are “shopping” in southern Arizona and Mexico.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I’m off today. It is a normal workday for me, but I took off because we were invited to a Mardi Gras Ball last night and, even more importantly, I so I could go to church today with my family.

We had a good time last night. It was not as much fun as the last ball because the music was more modern and I’m not much for modern dance music. They did play a few Cajun songs that we could jitterbug to and a number of older songs as well.

A group of us met at our niece Elisabeth’s house. One of the ladies, Cindy F., brought a 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille from the Betz Family Winery. This was one of the best wines I have ever tasted. I told MK about it and we are going to purchase a bottle or two. It is a bit above my budget, but I think I its worth it for a special occasion.

We went to worship services a Covenant PCA this morning. We really need to move our membership from Bethel in Lake Charles to Covenant in Sulphur. We do live Covenant’s parish now. Pastor Mark is serving as Pastor of both Churches while Bethel is searching for a new pastor.

Personally, I would like to see the two congregations merge until our numbers grow and then we can re-establish Bethel once we have enough Reformed Christians to support two solid Reformed Churches in SW Louisiana.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post. I’ve been busy at home and I’m still doing hurricane repairs. Christian and I were roofing the garage yesterday. The east side is done and we are about halfway finished with the west side. I should be up there now, but I am taking a little break to read news, listen to C-Span and post on the blog.

Since my last post much has happened. I bought a tuxedo. Last year I rented one to go to a few Mardi Gras balls. We are going to a couple of them this year as well and it is almost cheaper to buy one.

We went to a ball two weekends ago. It was fun. There was a good band, and I danced most of the night. Lisa and I went with several friends, a couple them ladies with out their husbands, so I had to dance with Lisa and our lady friends. This kept me on the dance floor (lots of jitterbugging).

I didn't see anyone at the ball get drunk or act stupid. That's always good, because all it takes is one stupid drunk to ruin a party for lots of people.

We have another ball coming up this weekend (Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler). I hope we can again “pass a good time.”

I have a little less than 50 pages to go in Max Hastings’ book Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-1945. Wow! What a great work of history. I cannot recommend this book enough. It well written and gives pros and cons for all sides, and it moves from macro views of battles and then it zooms in on individuals -- military and civilian – Russian, German, British, American, Dutch, Pole, etc…

I have to get to work. I can only work until 3PM then I have to pick up the little boys from school and help with homework and supper.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

My fishing trip with Craig was cancelled today, because my youngest son was running a fever this morning and did not go to school. I stayed with him.

I worked out well for me. I only slept about three hours yesterday after my last night of graveyard and got to bed late last night. I was very tired. So when my son had to stay home. He and I both went back to bed and I slept to 10:30. That was some much needed rest.

Craig did call and tell me that the fishing was very good and he brought home ten white perch (sac-au-lait). Hopefully I will get to make a fishing trip before I go back to work again.

I did get some work on the garage done. I started culling the siding boards that were torn off by the tree falling on it. I replaced a number of those boards today. I will but as many as I can up, so I can determine how many I need to buy. It is cedar siding, so they are not cheap. I want to salvage as much as I can.

I’m now sitting in front of the computer with a glass of wine (pinot noir) and will start paying bills next.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

I am working my last night of graveyards and will be starting vacation. Craig Cudd and I are supposed to be going fishing for sac-au-lait (also known a white perch, or if your a Yankee, crappie) on Thursday.

After that I hope to spend most of the rest of the time I have off working on the house, garage and yard.

After getting to work and checking things out for this shift, I ate the meal I brought. I feasted on crackers and Richard’s (pronounced Ree-shardz) hog-head cheese. I love hog head cheese. My daughter called me and informed me (after I had already eaten the Hog Head cheese that It was hers (she and I are the only two in the family that eat it), so now I need to pick some up for her.

We had to inspect and replace outdated steam hoses last night. But over all things have been pretty quiet. Now I’m starting to get ready to get out of here. I will bring Gary home and have a beer with him before I come home and go to bed.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Ps: I got a care package yesterday from an old Navy buddy, Bret Hodges, who now lives in Alaska. I can't wait to try the stuff out.

I’m at work and hope to be heading home soon. It’s been a very quiet evening. I just came inside after making and round through my units. I had to get up and go outside because I was getting very sleepy.

After walking around, looking things over and picking up a little trash, I’ve gotten a second wind and should be fine for the rest of my 12 hour shift. I only have another hour to go.

I rode to work alone last night. My carpool buddy, Gary had to go the hospital to spend with his second grandbaby. I think I will go straight home and to sleep. Usually when I drive I stop at Gary’s for a drink and conversation (if he drives we do the same thing at my house). Yesterday morning we had a little bourbon and a some high dollar (smooth) tequila that he picked up in Texas.

I come back tonight for what should be my last shift for a couple of weeks. I’m taking time off to work on the house.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Ps. The picture is of the two ladies in my life. My wife and daughter.

I did not have many days of this week. I worked of Monday and was off work Tuesday and Wednesday. I came to work Thursday for eight hours board training for out new unit and Friday I had Rescue Team training. I did get a little more work done at the house during my time off, but not near as much as I planned to do or should have done.

Last night the Seeps and our family (all but Morgan) went to Chili’s for supper. We had a good visit there and at the house afterwards. Today I got up did a little work and took a nap so I could work tonight.

I’ve recently been trying to contact some of my old Navy buddies. I’ve managed to get in touch with several fellows that haven’t heard from in many years. One of them, Bret, lives in Alaska. He emailed me and said he was sending me a package. I’m pretty excited about that.

I got an email from another guy, Chief Bynoe. He sent me a couple of pictures from our detachment/cruise on board the USS Lockwood (1981). [BTW- Im the fellow in the yellow (plane Captian) shirt.]

Coram Deo.
Kenith