Compassion

Compassion - Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. 

How many of you have heard the story of German WWII fighter pilot Ludwig Franz Stigler?   It is a story of one person's compassion that speaks volumes 80 years later.

On December 20, 1943, in the skies over northern Germany, Stigler, who in his flying career with the Luftwaffe would shoot down 28 enemy aircraft, had already shot down two American B-17 bombers that day.  As he came upon a third B-17, he had it in the crosshairs.  But something stopped him from firing on it.  As Stigler flew closer, he noticed the bomber had been riddled with bullets.  He could clearly see the tail gunner's cage, where the airman was slumped over his gun and not moving.  Blood splatters covered part of the window.

As he drew alongside the rippled aircraft, he noticed one man flying the aircraft, Charles "Charlie" Brown, who was trying desperately to keep the wounded aircraft flying.  He was heading west, back to England, or at least the North Sea.  Stigler decided not to fire his guns and when Brown looked at him, he motioned with his hand for Brown to fly north toward neutral Sweden, but instead Brown kept his west heading.

Stigler then made the incredible decision to escort Brown and his crippled aircraft to the North Sea coast, protecting it from other German aircraft and anti-aircraft fire.  When they reached the coast of the North Sea, Brown turned and looked at the German pilot flying next to him.  Stigler looked Brown in the eye and saluted him, then turned his aircraft back toward Germany, allowing Brown and his wounded and dead crew to make it back to England.

For years Brown searched for Stigler.  He didn't have a name, only a story.  Finally, in 1990, he discovered the name of the German pilot and he was living in Canada!  Brown was able to retrieve a phone number and called him.  When Stigler answered, Brown did not say hello, instead he said, "I hope you are the man who saved my life."  There was silence on the other end, before Stigler finally spoke, "you were flying a B-17..."  Several weeks later the two men met at a bar in the States.  They became close friends and remained close friends until 2008 when they both died within months of each other.  

Compassion comes in many forms, not shooting down a defenseless aircraft in times of war is just one of them.  Giving food and shelter to those in need is another, paying someone's rent to keep them from being evicted is another, compassion is donating your time and money wherever it is needed because it is the right thing to do.  Showing compassion is being Christ-like.

Compassion is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.  It tells the world you are willing to treat others as an equal, no matter their circumstances.

Compassion is not putting yourself first in all things.  Compassion is not insulting and calling other people names.  Compassion is not ignoring the law because you don't agree with it.  Compassion is not promoting civil unrest.  Compassion is not arresting and detesting civilians because they look different.  Compassion is not taking healthcare away from those who desperately need it.  Compassion is not ending programs that help the poor and less fortunate put food on the table.  Compassion is not treating those you deem your inferior with disdain.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, humility, kindness, gentleness and patience."  Colossians 3.12

Luke 10 tells us the story of the Good Samaritan, which teaches us in crystal clear detail the importance of compassion and loving your neighbor regardless of their background.

Compassion is a noun that calls for action. It reflects God's love and encourages believers to actively help those who are in need.  It is integral to our faith, urging those who believe to embody empathy and kindness and forgiveness in their actions with others.

As Paul said in Galatians 6, "let us not become weary in doing good."

Our government is doing a horrible job of showing compassion, of showing empathy toward others, of putting others first.  Where is the kindness, where is the equality, where is the Good Samaritan?

First and most importantly we belong to God, not the United States, or Canada or the U.K.  My prayer is we all start acting like it.

Be kind to each other, show compassion where it is needed.  Let your light shine.  See you down the road.

SEC Predictions et al. - Championship week

 Hey kids, welcome to Championship Saturday.  Just one SEC game, so we will take a brief look at some of the other more significant games of the day.

FYI, last week in Rivalry Week, I went 4-2 in SEC games, brining my season record to 46-18, a .719 win percentage.  Overall last week I went 6-4.  Ouch, a couple of upsets, but hey, that's what makes college football fun.  So overall during the 2025 SEC season, I went 99-28, a .780 correct percentage.  Much better.

Ok, on to this week's games.

SEC Championship at Atlanta - Georgia v. Alabama - 3p - ABC - Both teams had their hands full last week in their regular season finale.  Bama let Auburn off the hook and had to scramble to win, while the Bulldogs had their hands full with a scrappy Georgia Tech team.  It is 81 games from Athens to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, but it really won't feel like a home game.  Alabama has played in Atlanta as much as Georgia the past 10-15 years.  Georgia Coach Kirby Smart will not see his mentor and former boss, Nick Saban across the sideline, but he will still see the crimson and white of Alabama.  This will be close.  Real close.  Alabama 24, Georgia 23

Big XII Championship at Arlington, Texas - BYU v. Texas Tech - 11a - ABC - Both teams are 11-1, but I fully expect the Red Raiders will beat the fire out of the Cougars.  Could be wrong, but I don't think so.  Texas Tech 35, BYU 24

Big 10 Championship at Indianapolis - Indiana v. Ohio State - 7p - Fox - Indiana v. Ohio State - A battle of unbeatens, in what in reality, will be the premier game of the day.  As I mentioned earlier about Georgia, it is only 53 miles from the University of Indiana in Bloomington to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and Indiana fans are numerous and they will be loud.  But I look at Ohio State and you know what I see?  A team that has been here before.  Often.  Experience counts.  Ohio State 34, Indiana 24

ACC Championship at Charlotte - Duke v. Virginia - 7p - ABC - I will be the first to admit, this seems really weird.  An ACC championship game with no Miami, no Clemson, no Florida State, no Georgia Tech.  This seems more like the ACC Basketball Championship in March.  The Cavaliers have been a surprise this year going 10-2.  It will also be a surprise if they don't win.  UVA - 38, Duke 17

That will do it for a week or two.  I'll come back with a bowl preview in a week or so.  Have a great weekend.  Be kind to each other.  Roll Tide!

SEC Predictions - Rivalry Week

 Good morning kids, hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends.  I know some of you are celebrating today and others have a secondary Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Well done in stretching it out.

For those of you not hitting the stores today in search of that perfect Black Friday gift but are staying home in a post-Thanksgiving coma wanting to do nothing but sit in the recliner and watch college football.  Well, I'm with you.

It is rivalry week, traditionally the final weekend of the regular season.  It is the perfect ending to the Thanksgiving festivities.  Fire up the 72-inch HD, have snacks within arm's reach, as well as copious amounts of your favorite beverage chilling in the fridge.  Truly, life doesn't get much better than this.

Last week, I went 3-1 in conference games, somehow thinking Florida might beat Tennessee, not my best moment, and 8-1 in all games.  As we enter the final week, my record stands at 42-16 in SEC games, and 93-24 overall.  Let's see if we can't get to 100 on this final week.

We have three games today and then seven on Saturday, and all of them should be really good.  Ok, on to the predictions.

Friday games

Ole Miss at Mississippi State - 11a - ABC - As much as I love Mississippi State, there just is no way I see them winning the Egg Bowl.  The main story here, and what most SEC fans are waiting for, especially in Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana, is what will Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin do?  He is being offered obscene amounts of money to leave the Rebels and coach the Gators or LSU.  Will he stay or will he go?  He has promised an answer after the game.  Of course that could mean tomorrow.  Either way, the Kiffin saga will soon be over.  Ole Miss 44, Miss. State 21

Georgia at Georgia Tech - 2.30p - ABC - This game will be played in the Mercedes Benz Dome in downtown Atlanta.  The Bulldogs are their customary 10-1, while the Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech are a surprising 9-2.  I didn't see that coming.  Still, Georgia, who has played really well lately, should dispatch their Atlanta neighbors.  Georgia 35, Georgia Tech 17

Texas A&M at Texas - 6.30p - ABC - This is the game we've been waiting for.  This incredible, fiery, intra-state rivalry was interrupted over a decade ago when the Aggies left the Big XII for the SEC along with Missouri (who lost their big rival Kansas in the move).  But now that Texas has arrived, the rivalry is back, and there is much rejoicing.  Don't you know the Longhorns would love nothing better than to corral the undefeated Aggies.  This will be fun.  A&M 34, Texas 31 

Saturday games

Kentucky at Louisville - 11a - ACC - This will be the game to watch in the Commonwealth, not so much anywhere else.  I'm taking the Cardinals in a spirited game.  Louisville 28, Kentucky 20

Clemson at South Carolina - 11a - SEC - Ok, now we are back to a rivalry game with passion.  The usually powerful Clemson Tigers are a pedestrian 6-5, while Gamecocks are a disappointing 4-7.  Doesn't matter, Dabo goes hole with the "L".  South Carolina 33, Clemson 28

Missouri at Arkansas - 2.30p - SEC - M and I will be driving to St. Louis tomorrow from Arkansas to see Mom, and I hope I am in the old hometown in time to see this one, otherwise I'll be listening on Sirius.  Mizzou is 7-4 after starting 5-0.  Arkansas is a dismal 2-9.  The Razorbacks have been scoring a boatload of points under interim coach Bobby Petrino, but unfortunately for the Hogs, they have been giving up boatloads of points.  The Mizzou offense has sputtered in recent weeks, they only scored six against Oklahoma last week.  I can see, I can see Arkansas winning this game.  I hope they don't, but this is an upset waiting to happen.  Missouri 38, Arkansas 36

Vanderbilt at Tennessee - 2.30p - ESPN - The Commodores are 9-2 and I hope they beat the fire out of Tennessee.  But this game is in Knoxville, not Nashville.  The Vols looked good against Florida last week, so I'll pick them, but this too, will be very, very close.  Tennessee 31, Vandy 28

LSU at Oklahoma - 2.30p - ABC - If you are an LSU fan, you want this game over quickly so you can name Lane Kiffin as your new coach.  Seriously, can you imagine the fan reaction across the great state of Louisiana if Kiffin stays at Ole Miss or decides he likes swordfish better than gumbo or crawfish etouffee?  Oklahoma 42, LSU 22

Florida State at Florida - 3.30p - ESPN2 - Way back in week one, the Seminoles defeated Alabama.  Remember that?  Afterward, they went into a deep dive for a month or so, but they have found a pulse and are playing better.  Florida?  The poor Gators, they are this year's dumpster fire in the SEC.  But hey, at least they won the Men's Basketball championship this year, so they have that going for them. Florida State 40, Florida 21

Alabama at Auburn - 6.30p - ABC - The Iron Bowl, It just means more, right?  Auburn would probably sell their souls to win this game or double their payout to Hugh Freeze to win this game.  It will be close, very close, probably too close for Alabama fans.  But the Tide will prevail.  Alabama 30, Auburn 23

Ok kids, that is it.  Enjoy your family times and enjoy watching SEC football together.  See you down the road.  Be kind to each other.

Blessings and Gratitude

 I mentioned the other day how Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  That hasn't changed, it still is.  But I want to look at Thanksgiving for what it is, A time set aside for the nation to give thanks for the bounty we produce, for giving thanks for the blessings we receive and showing gratitude to God for all of it.

For much of my life in worship we would sing a song called "Count Your Many Blessings."  Here is the first verse.

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

I love this song, because it is a reminder to me of the many, many blessings I have.  

Every morning, when I usually have my quiet time, I will frequently count my blessings and give thanks for them, because I feel my life has been one continuous blessing, and I have been blessed far more than I deserve.

Now, if I were to name all of my blessings, it would be a long list and you probably would give up reading it before you reached the end.  So this list will be abbreviated.  These are the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving season, 2025

-  First and foremost, I am grateful I have a God who loves me, who cares for me and wants me to succeed, who gave his Son to die for me.  There is nothing even remotely close to this blessing.

-  I am thankful for Marilyn (M).  There are no words for me to describe the blessing she is in my life.  My best friend, my life partner.  She makes me want to be the best person I can be and I look forward to spending eternity with her

-  I am so thankful for my mother, for her strength, her example, her character.  Mom has had a tough year.  She turned 89 last month, and in this calendar year, she has fractured her pelvis, broken her nose, broken a toe, and broken her femur.  She has had breast cancer and had COVID.  She and my step-father Tom have also moved from their home to an assisted living facility.  That is a lot to deal with at any age, yet she has met every challenge.  Sure there have been some setbacks, but she has survived each one.  

She will spend this Thanksgiving at a residential rehab facility in St. Louis.  Not a problem, she is continuing to have an influence on everyone she meets, meeting the workers, hearing their stories.  Every day she tells me about a staff member she has met.  The girl from Puerto Rico who loves baseball and Yadier Molina.  The woman from Bosnia who even though she holds advanced degrees still does service work at the rehab.  Just yesterday she told me about one of the maintenance men, who raised his twin daughters after their mother, his wife, died when she was 40.  I am so thankful she is still with us.

- I am so thankful for my two sons, Barclay and Clayton, and the joy they bring me.  Just so proud of them.  I am also thankful for their wives, Sarah and Mimi, two wonderful daughters-in-law.

- I am thankful for those two adorable red-headed grandchildren, Eleanor and Isaac.  There are no words.

- I am thankful for my brother Barry, and since he has retired, we talk so much more frequently

-  As you can tell, I am so very grateful for my family (mine and M's), near and far.  Each is special, and I love them all dearly.

- I am still grateful, as I have been for 60-plus years, for baseball

- I am grateful for my church family at Sherrod Ave.  When we moved to the Shoals 11 years ago, I literally knew no one.  Sure there are a half-dozen congregations closer to our home, but it is the people, the friendships I have made, the people I love deeply, including our minister Justin Pannell, who I still feel responsible for.

-  I am thankful for the women of our small group, Joy Winn, Martha Jenkins, Linda Bogus, Jean Greenhill and Janis Kennedy.  What wonderful, wonderful ladies.  I would be remiss and in trouble if I did not mention some other of our senior ladies at church who just fill my heart every time I see them.   Edra Westmoreland (the best hugs), Margie Isom, Peggy Murphy, Sonia Denton, Judy Odom and others I am sure I am forgetting

-  I am thankful for the church on Hilton Head.  We get to worship with them five or six times a year, and they always treat us like family.  Fred McClure, their minister is a good man and a student of the word.  They are a welcoming oasis to the traveler needing a place to worship

-  I am thankful for Alabama weather, especially in the winter

-  I am thankful M and I travel as much as we do.  There is so much to see in this world

-  I am thankful for Donnie Daugherty.  My brother from another mother.  Our friendship started with a weekly breakfast (the best friendships start with food).  We have had some similar heartaches, but he has endured much the past couple years.  He is resilient, he loves God, and he is an inspiration

-  I am so thankful for Ken Springer.  Our brains are pretty much set tuned to the same frequency.  So many times we've had each other's back.  Friends like him are so very rare.

-  I am thankful for Jeff Walton.  The more I get to know him, the more I appreciate his study and understanding of God's word

-   I am so thankful for Allison Blair.  In the first nine years we were at Sherrod, Allison and I probably talked three times.  Since then, well, more than three times.  Our friendship began with a comment about Converse tennis shoes.   Since that first discussion we have discovered we share political views, a warped sense of humor, divorce and other things.  I call her Momma Smurf.  She has been through much but yet overcomes.

-  I am grateful for my friendships with Justin McGill, Caleb Danley and Will Young, who have decided I have some wisdom to share.  I do pray I don't disappoint them.

- I am grateful for the friends of my youth that I still communicate with.  For Bruce Chilton, Sam Bates, Lisa Moon, Sandy Smith, Paige Brown, Daryl Simmons and Linda Richardson.  I love all of these kids, all of whom I've known for 60 years

-  I am grateful I can walk.  Prior to my hip replacement, I was convinced I would never walk unaided again.  God didn't just lay his hand on me, he draped his whole body on me.

-  I am thankful for you, the readers of this blog.  For your comments, even when you disagree.

-  Finally, I am grateful for life.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve, I have the best wife, everywhere I look I see God's handiwork.  Life is very, very good.

Give thanks.  Count your blessings, be nice to everyone you meet.  See you down the road.

 

Thanksgiving As a Kid: A Look Back

 Let me be among the first to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.  I know, the official Turkey Day is still a few days away, but we got ours started early this year.  The Sherrod Ave. Church of Christ, where M and I attend, had their annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner after worship this morning.  The gym was full of tables and chairs and there was a hungry person in almost every seat as the smell of smoked turkey hung heavily over those gathered.

In this edition of Baseball, God and Tacos, I want to look back at the early Thanksgiving Days of my youth, say from about 1964 to 1970.  Keep in mind, these are recollections as I remember them.  My brother Barry and my mom, the only other two alive from those days, might have different recollections.  To be honest, theirs may be right, but this is how I remember them.

I remember the morning started early.  We were usually awakened about 7 or 7.30 for breakfast.  I don't remember it being anything special, that meal would come later in the day, but it could have been oatmeal or pancakes, or a bowl of Cheerios pr Frosted Flakes.

Once breakfast was over, Barry and I would head to the bedroom we shared, where our clothes for the day were laid out for us, at least in those early years.  We dressed nice for the day, the clothes we put on were not quite our church clothes, but they were pretty nice.  Mom and dad dressed like they were going out for dinner.

Once we left our house in the St. Louis suburb of Overland, we would the 20 miles or so to downtown St. Louis for the first stop of the day.  Once we parked, we would casually stroll through downtown St. Louis, along with hundreds of others, looking at the Christmas windows in the department stores.  I remember looking at the numerous windows of Famous-Barr, Boyd's, Stix, Baer & Fuller, stores that now only exist in our memories.  I know what you are thinking, didn't I see this in the Christmas classic, "Christmas Story?"  Well yes and no.  This was Missouri, not Indiana, it was Thanksgiving, not Christmas, and there was no snow on the ground.  But there were lots of Christmas windows to look at and dream about.

After 45 minutes or so, with the gawking behind us, it was back in the car to head to my Granny Red's home in south St. Louis.  My dad's mother, we called her Granny Red because, well, she had red hair.  Made sense to me.

One thing I have to tell you about my two grannies.  First, I was blessed to have both of them until I was 45 years old.  I will forever be grateful for that.  Second, my Granny Dalton, mom's mom, was an incredibly good cook.  There was never a bad meal at her house. Ever.  My favorites were her meatloaf, her coconut cream pie, her apricot fried pies and her homemade bread.  I'm getting a little teary just thinking about it.

My Granny Red on the other hand, bless her heart, would have trouble boiling water.  She was not a good cook, and fortunately for the rest of us, she knew she wasn't a good cook and didn't try to fake it.  Except on Thanksgiving.  She always made the turkey and dressing.  Papa John, my step-grandfather, worked for the St. Louis Zoo, and every Thanksgiving, received a free turkey from the zoo.  But somehow, someway, she always managed to cook a perfect turkey with dressing.  Sixty years later, I still don't know how she accomplished it.

Granny Red was also way ahead of her time.  When we would arrive at their home on Fyler, just off Hampton. you could be assured of three things.  As soon as you walked through the door, there was the pleasing aroma of turkey.  Secondly, there was football from Tiger Stadium in Detroit, where the Lions would be playing the Bears or Vikings or some other northern team.  Lastly, and here is where she gets kudos, she would have on the table a small tray filled with sliced cheddar, salami and pepperoni, black olives, sweet gherkins and Ritz crackers.  Granny Red, back in the mid 60's was putting out for a pre-dinner snack what she called "Grazings," you know, like we would graze like cattle.  Which we did.  This is at least 50 years before anyone ever heard of a charcuterie board.

About 3.30 or 4, while it was still daylight, we said our good-byes and piled back in the car.  I'm pretty sure I slept on the 20-minute journey to Grandpa and Granny Dalton's, who also lived in Overland, just a couple blocks from us.  Granny would have some pumpkin pie, some coffee for the adults, and we would once again have dessert.

The day would end well after dark, and we would make the three-or-four-minute drive home, go inside and Barry and I would crash in our bed.  Mom would come in and get our good clothes off of us, because we did not have enough sense, or were just too tired to do it ourself.

Every time Thanksgiving week comes around, I have the same memories, memories which I just described.  They are so real, like they just happened last year.  I cherish them deeply.

I will not be with either one of my sons and their families this year, in fact, I haven't in a number of years.  Barclay is in Georgia, and Clayton is in California, and they are surrounded by their spouse's families.  It's sad to not be with them, but I am grateful they are with family and making memories.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  More so than Christmas, more so than the Fourth of July more so than Opening Day of the baseball season.  Nothing really comes close.

I'm grateful we will be with Marilyn's family on Thursday in Arkansas, then on Saturday we will drive to St. Louis, and I'll be with Mom for a few days.

For 68 years I have been blessed far beyond what I deserve.  I am thankful for many things in my life, my parents and grandparents, for Marilyn and her family, for Barclay and Clayton.  But what I am most thankful for is that God loves me.  There is no love on Earth that can top that.

Have a wonderful week my friends, I hope you have opportunity to be with family this week.  Know that I love and appreciate each one of you as well.  Thank you for being family and being my friends.  Be safe and be kind to each other.

SEC Predictions - Week 13

 Bonjour mon ami, it is a very, very foggy morning in Tuscumbia, Alabama.  A great time to look at Saturday's football schedule and make some predictions.

Had another decent week last week, only missing two contests.  Alabama dominated Oklahoma on the stat-sheet, but they also turned the ball over three times and gift-wrapped a victory to the Sooners.  Merry Christmas Oklahoma.  I have to admit, Georgia played much better than I expected. against Texas.   Look out the rest of college football.  For the week, I went 4-2 in conference games, giving me a 39-15 record in SEC games, and 6-2 overall, giving this prognosticator an 85-23 record in all games.

We have some good ones this week, on to the show.

Samford at Texas A&M - 11a - SEC - Our friends from Birmingham venture to Kyle field for a beating and a fat paycheck.  After last week's debacle against South Carolina, A&M gets a nice scrimmage before next week's game against Texas.  The Aggies will score early and often and let the second and third string play the second half.   I 'm pretty sure I won't be watching this game.  A&M 63, Samford 0

Missouri at Oklahoma - 11a - ABC - I will however be watching this one.  Back when I was growing up, there was this conference called the Big 8.  Oklahoma and Missouri were both members and they had some great games.  I guess anyone under 30 can google it.  Can Oklahoma maintain their momentum after beating Alabama?  Can Missouri and their explosive offense (except against A&M) score enough points?  Yeah, I'll be watching this one.  Oklahoma 34, Missouri 30

Charlotte at Georgia - 11.45a - SEC - I'm not sure the Charlotte Panthers could beat the Bulldogs, much less the Charlotte 49ers.  49ers?  Seriously?  Georgia is favored by 43.5 points.  That pretty much tells you everything you need to know.  Georgia 56, Charlotte 7

Mercer at Auburn - 1p - SEC - Geez, what is with all the cupcakes this week?  As the old saying goes, "there ought to be a law."  I won't be watching this one either.  I haven't said this often, but I think the Tigers will win.  Auburn 48, Mercer 10

Eastern Illinois at Alabama - 1p - SEC - Zzzzzzzzzz.  Seriously, it is embarrassing.  Alabama 55, Eastern Illinois 7

Arkansas at Texas - 2.30p - ABC - Back when I was growing up, there was this conference called the Southwest Conference.  Arkansas and Texas were both members and they had some great games.  Remember 1969?  Nixon was there.  Texas was No. 1, Arkansas was No. 2, and the Longhorns won 15-14 on a cold, December Saturday in Fayetteville.  If I squint just enough, I can see Darrell Royal and Frank Broyles on the sidelines.  More than once, if this game was played at night, my dad, who grew up in Arkansas, would fine tune the AM dial on the radio to 1090, KAAY in Little Rock and listen to the game.  Good times kids, good times.   Texas 27, Arkansas 24

Kentucky at Vanderbilt - 2.30p - ESPN - You know, the Wildcats have been a little feisty lately, so they might give Vandy a little trouble.  If I weren't watching the game above, I might be watching this one.  Still, the Commodores should prevail in Nashville.  Vandy 33, Kentucky 24

Coastal Carolina at South Carolina - 3.15p - SEC - To go with the Demon Deacons, Banana Slugs and Ragin Cajuns, Coastal Carolina has one of my favorite names.  The Chanticleers.  Just let that roll off your tongue a few times.  Now try it with a French accent.  Kind of cool isn't it.  Alas, the 138-mile drive from Conway, SC to Columbia, SC will be in vain.  The rooster will not be beating the gamecock, though now that I think about it, that might be more exciting than the game.  South Carolina 43, Coastal Carolina 21

Tennessee at Florida - 6.30p - ABC - The Vols are 7-3, the Gators are 3-7.  Still the competitive balance of the SEC is on display as the Vols are only favored by four points.   This will be a good one to end the day on.  Upset in the swamp.  Florida 31, Tennessee 28

Western Kentucky at LSU - 6.45p - SEC - There are three SEC teams I root for on a weekly basis, Missouri, Alabama and LSU.   The Hilltoppers make a trip to Death Valley only to find a hungry Tiger waiting.  Well, hope they at least enjoyed the crawfish etouffee.   LSU 45, Western Kentucky 17

Ok kids, still foggy out.  Guess I'll go make some breakfast.  Have a wonderful weekend and root responsibly.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate

 A few years ago, I think it was before COVID, I did a series of posts on Facebook entitled "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."  It was born from seeing a series on the Food Network with that title.  I think I did 10 posts with various succulent dishes from around the country.

I know it is hard to believe, but I do like to eat and it really doesn't matter where they are.  I like some things at chain restaurants, diners, shacks by the side of the road, or even places where a sport coat is mandatory.  

As is the case with all of us, we experience new foods that become our favorites and things we thought we liked get pushed off the list. 

With the blog, I have a new format and thus will make a new list, Dalton's own, "The 12 Best Things I Ever Ate."   For clarity, these are in no particular order, just writing them down as I go through my notes.  Who knows, maybe you have tried one of these.

Crawfish Etouffee Omelet - Oak Alley Plantation - Vacherie, Louisiana - Might as well start with a breakfast item.  A perfectly cooked three-egg omelet with crawfish and gruyere on the inside with more crawfish and sauce on the top.  Served with a hot biscuit with butter, molasses, a bowl of grits and a piping hot cup of Community coffee.  I defy you to find a better breakfast anywhere

Sirloin Burger with Cheese - O'Connell's Pub - St. Louis, Missouri - Located at the intersection of Kingshighway and Shaw in south St. Louis, once you walk in, it may take a minute of two to adjust your eyes to adjust.  It is dark inside, the lights, the walls, the table and chairs.  You walk through the pub to get to the eating area.  They have a wonderful roast beef sandwich, but it is their sirloin burger that gets your heart pumping.  Eight ounces of pure ground sirloin, topped with a generous amount of melted cheddar cheese.  There is a slice of sweet onion and a pickle spear.  I always topped mine with a splash or two of Lea and Perrin's.  Served with hot fries and a cold Coca-Cola, it is lunch fit for a king.

Hawaiian Delight - Ted Drewe's - St. Louis, Missouri - About three miles west of O'Connell's sits Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, whose Chippewa location has been in business for about 75 years.  They serve frozen custard, and one flavor, vanilla.  But they have sundaes, and concretes that you can add items to.  The concrete is a super thick shake that got its name because once itis made, they hold it upside down and nothing falls out, kind of like concrete.  More than once after leaving O'Connell's I would make my way to Ted Drewes and order a Hawaiian Delight sundae.  A single serving of frozen custard topped with pineapple, banana, coconut and macadamia nuts.  Need I say more?

Beehive Cake - Basque Boulangerie - Sonoma, California - While we are on the subjects of dessert.  It was Labor Day weekend in 2018, Marilyn and I were in northern California, and were having a nice lunch at this lovely French bakery just off the square in Sonoma. We had just finished our lunch and were about to leave when someone walked by carrying a piece of this cake, Our eyes met and without a word being said, Marilyn got up and went and ordered a slice for us to share. A moist cake, with a custard filling topped with a honey almond praline, this was indeed one of the best things I ever ate.

Ooh-la-la - Henry's Louisiana Grill - Acworth, Georgia - I do love Cajun food and my son Barclay introduced me to Henry's. Located on old town Acworth near the railroad track, their menu has everything to satisfy any Louisiana native. Chef Henry, the long-haired hippie chef and proprietor of the restaurant, is constantly walking around, working the room, handing out beads to everyone in attendance. The first time I tried the "Ooo-la-la," my reaction was this is one of the best things I have ever eaten, and subsequent trips to Henry's have not made me change my mind. It is shrimp, oysters or crawfish, or if you prefer (like me), all three, that has been flash-fried, that has been tossed with spinach, tasso and roasted garlic, in a spicy Cajun cream sauce, and served over angel hair pasta. It is a phenomenal dish and worth the trip anytime you are close to Atlanta.

Char-broiled Oysters - Drago's - Metairie, Louisiana - M and I were in New Orleans to catch a cruise ship and had gone down a day early. A friend of mine in Arkansas had said, you really need to go to Drago's and have the char-broiled oysters. Now to this point, I had never eaten a baked oyster, I just knew I did not care for the raw ones. When we got ready to order, we could order a half-dozen or a dozen. Not knowing whether or not we would like them, we only ordered a half-dozen. When they arrived they were sizzling in the shell. Broiled oysters covered with butter, garlic, melted parmesan cheese and white wine. They are advertised as "The single best bite of food in New Orleans." That my friends is an understatement.

Ghost-pepper Pimento Cheese burger - Shoals Shack - St. Florian, Alabama - I just had this dish last week and is what got me thinking about redoing this list. Literally located in a shack just off the Big Star parking lot on the Old Jackson Highway (Ala. 47) north of Florence, if you eat one of their creations, prepare to be blown away. I saw an online ad for this burger and knew immediately I had to have one. A single patty cooked well, no bleeding there, topped with a mixture of pimento cheese and ghost peppers, bacon, pickles, field greens and apricot jam. The explosion of flavors makes it feel like your mouth has tripped out. It is that good. The ghost pepper, according to Wikipedia, has over a million Scoville units. That is 170 times hotter than the hottest red chili pepper. Mixed with the pimento cheese and the apricot jam tempered it some not, but not much. At one point, both my eyes were watering, my nose was watering, and my sinuses may never clog up again. And I was happy! I wanted to go back the next day and get another one. But I didn't

Fried Green Tomato BLT - The Rookery - Macon, Georgia - Another newcomer to this list, M and I stopped here earlier this spring on the way to HHI. Not wanting a burger, I was looking for something different and I found it. Generous portions of applewood smoked bacon, a thick fried green tomato, lettuce, fresh chevre, with a sun-dried tomato remoulade all on toasted country buttermilk bread. Man, that was good.

Rigatoni Carbonara - Pasta House - St. Louis, Missouri - Ok, another from the old hometown. Carbonara is by far my favorite sauce, and the Pasta House has the best. Fried pancetta, mixed with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, an egg or two and you have a dish that will stick with you for days. Great with some crunchy Italian bread and some freshly ground pepper over the top. Deliziosa!

Pea Saute' - Pier 44 - Hattiesburg, Mississippi - On our way to Louisiana on day we stopped in Hattiesburg for the night. We asked desk clerk to recommend a local eatery for dinner, and he recommended Pier 44, which was only about five minutes from where we were staying. One of two appetizers on the list, an incredible collection of foods that make the mouth scream with delight. It is field peas, cooked with bacon, okra, tomatoes, roasted garlic aioli and sweet cornbread. I am not exaggerating when I saw it is one of the best things I ever put in my mouth.

Zydeco Shrimp - Boudreaux and Thibodeaux - Houma, Louisiana - We happened upon this place one Sunday afternoon while deep in the swamp and decided to stop. We are glad we did. To be honest, I don't remember what I had for dinner, but I do remember the appetizer. Lightly battered crispy fried popcorn shrimp, coated with a sweet and tangy sauce served on a bed of cole slaw. I've been looking for something similar for four years and have yet to find anything close. I'll keep trying

Blackened Grouper - Sea Shack - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - A place that is easy to drive right by, we discovered it about 20 years ago and it is my favorite place on the island. The entire menu is on a white board with different colored markers. The resh fish are listed, and you can have them blackened, fried or grilled. There is also the choice of having it in a sandwich or on the plate with fries and cole slaw. I prefer the filet and always, always ask for extra blackened seasoning. Yes, my head sweats as I eat it, but without question it is the best fresh fish I will eat during my time on the island. I must add, the red fish is exceptional as well as the blackened gator and the conch fritters. Be sure and get the remoulade sauce with the blackened gator bites.

Hope you have enjoyed this culinary journey. There are many other things I could have mentioned, but these 12 should give you something to talk about. I'd love to hear if you have been to any of them.

Have a great rest of the week. Be kind to each other.

Potpourri - Vol. 4

 Hey y'all.  I am not going to beat around the bush; it has been a tough week.  As you probably know my mother fell last week and broke her femur just below the hip.  She had surgery on Sunday and was moved to rehab on Thursday.  Her leg is doing decent; her pain is now quite manageable.  It is her mental state that is now more of a problem, as she is confused a great deal and has become agitated at times.

There are several things I want to write about in blogs, but I have decided to do just a potpourri and list the highlights and lowlights of my stream of consciousness.

*  M and I got home Thursday night after being gone 23 of the last 24 days.  My bed never felt so good.

*  During this ordeal with my mother, and I have mentioned this before, I have been reminded what a great group of friends I have been blessed with.  I hope I never, ever take them for granted.

*  For some reason, for the past two weeks or so, I have had the "Looney Tunes Theme Song (This is It)" on a continuous loop in my head.  Not just the tune, but words!  Come on now, sing along... Overture, curtain, lights.  This it, the night of nights.  No more rehearsing or nursing a part, we know every part by heart!  Overture, curtain, lights, this is it, you'll hit the heights.  And oh what heights we'll hit, on with the show this is it.  Tonight what heights we'll hit, on with the show this is it!  You're welcome

*  Have you ever been to Scooters Coffee on 43 east of Cox Creek in Florence?  I stopped there a couple weeks ago and had a coconut latte'.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Of course, I would probably eat cardboard if it had coconut on it

*  I am convinced that Alabama Senator Tommy Turbeville is just not very smart.   I would love to see him on "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader."  I already know the answer.  This man is totally out of touch and has no clue how government, state or federal, works.  Come on Alabama, you're smarter than this

* As M and I were going through three weeks of mail yesterday, I opened an envelope from Capital One, obviously wanting me to get another credit card.  I got a kick out of the opening line which informed me I had been "conditionally approved" for this new Card.  In other words they were saying, "we notice you are still breathing."  Morons

* Have I ever told you I have a great-aunt who is 102 and still lives by herself?  She has given up driving but still cooks.  Blows me away.

*  You know I spent most of my growing up years in the St. Louis area and consider it my hometown.  I was there for six days this past week, but every time I am there, I remind myself I have no desire to ever live there again.

*  We had a men's breakfast at church this morning.  One of our deacons, James Nipper, gave a very interesting report on his work with the West Africa Water project in Ghana.  One of the questions was did he feel safe in Ghana.  James made me smile when he said, "I feel safer in Ghana than I do in Memphis."  He said the fine citizens of Ghana do stare at him, but it is because he is white.  I pretty much feel the same way about Memphis

*  I ate a lot of fresh fish while we were on Hilton Head.  Something satisfying about eating seafood for dinner that was swimming earlier that day.  I love my fresh seafood to be blackened, with lots of spices.  Spicier the better.

*  I was talking to my good friend Donnie Daugherty last night and we were talking about Thanksgiving.  He told me at the Daugherty family Thanksgiving, they were not going to have turkey in the traditional sense.  They are going to have nothing but turkey legs and wings.  Smoked.  I asked if it was too late for him to adopt me

*  Why is it that gas in Corinth is 25-30 cents a gallon less than everywhere else in Alabama, Mississippi or Tennessee.   While I had earlier paid $2.62 a gallon in Muscle Shoals, in Corinth I paid $2.34.  Go figure.

*  Release the Epstein Files

*  Despite being frequently confused, my mother has maintained her sense of humor.  One evening I was sitting by her bed chatting and the nurse asked the name of her husband.  Without my missing a beat, my mom said, "well, sometimes it is Arnold (my late father), and sometimes it is Tom (my step-father)

*  Just a friendly reminder way back in March I picked the Dodgers to win the World Series.  Here is another secret, I was rooting for the Blue Jays.

*  While in St. Louis last weekend, my brother Barry one day lost the key FOB to his F-150 for about five hours before finding it.  It is amazing how little things like that can bring our life to a screeching halt.

*  I missed the Northern Lights this week, and that really ticks me off.  That is near the top of my bucket list

*  I voted for the Republican in every Presidential election from 1976 (Ford) through 2012 (Romney).  That is 10 elections.  But in the last three I have voted for the Libertarian or some other third-party candidate.  I no longer consider myself a Republican, but I really don't consider myself a Democrat either.  Guess I'm an Independent.  That's not a bad place to be.  I really want Lynne Cheney to run for President

*  I had a Ghost Pepper Pimento Cheese hamburger at Shoals Shack in St. Florian yesterday.  It was really good, but the star of the show was the Pecan Pie Bread Pudding with a bourbon sauce.  We took it home and had it for dessert last night.  It was fabulous.  I have a theory on bread pudding.  Either it is really good or its awful.  There is no in between.

*  If you are a Dolly Parton fan, may I encourage you to read "Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton," which was written by Martha Ackmann, who just happened to be my high school journalism teacher.  Miss Ackmann, as I sometimes still call her, has written a number of books on women who have made a difference, including Toni Stone and Emily Dickinson, as well as "The Mercury 13, women hired by NASA and their dream of spaceflight.  The Dolly Parton book will be released right after Christmas by St. Martin's Press 

*  I wonder what those sweet, red-headed grandkids are doing today.

Love y'all big time.  Be kind to each other.

SEC Predictions - Week 12

 It is only two weeks until Thanksgiving, which means the regular college football season is nearing a close.  Counting this week, most teams have only two or three games left.

We had an abbreviated prediction list last week, as I was traveling and spent a lot of time in the hospital in St. Louis with my mom.  She had surgery this past Sunday to repair a broken femur just below her hip.  The surgery went well, but there is a long rehab ahead, so keep her in your prayers.

Ok, looking at weeks 10 and 11, they were pretty good.  In week 10 I was 5-1 in both conference games and overall.  Last week I was 5-0 in conference games and 6-0 overall.  For the season, I am now 35-13 in SEC games, and 79-21 overall.  I can live with that.  Ok, on to this week's matchups.

South Carolina at Texas A&M - 11a - ESPN - The Aggies are number three in the nation and still undefeated.  It has been a bad year for South Carolina, and it is not going to get any better on Saturday.  A&M 42, South Carolina 16

Arkansas at LSU - 11,45a - SEC - This is sort of a rivalry game.  They do have a huge trophy that goes to the winner called "The Boot.  I foresee the Tigers of LSU, fresh off last week's loss to Alabama, to give Arkansas the "boot" to the Razorbacks in Death Valley.  This is really strange, seeing an LSU home game during daytime hours.  LSU 38, Arkansas 24

Tennessee Tech at Kentucky - 12.30p - SEC - The Mustangs of Tennessee Tech are 10-0.  But as Shania Twain sang a couple decades ago, "that don't impress me much."  Now Kentucky beating Florida last week, now that impressed me.  Kentucky 31, Tennessee Tech 23

Oklahoma at Alabama - 2.30p - ABC - You know, since their season opening embarrassing loss to Florida State, all Alabama has done is win.  That will continue.  Bama 29, Oklahoma 20

New Mexico State at Tennessee - 3.15p - SEC - Did you know New Mexico State is known as the Aggies?  You did?  Oh, ok, good job.  Did you know Tennessee is favored by 39.5 points?  A-ha, got you.  How do you get a half-point?  Tennessee 52, N.M. State 14

Florida at Ole Miss - 6p - ESPN - If I am Lane Kiffin, there is no way in the world I would leave Ole Miss for the Florida job.  That program is a dumpster fire.  The Gators basketball program is en fuego.  The Rebels win big in Oxford.  Ole Miss 40, Florida 17

Texas at Georgia - 6.30p - ABC - Georgia is favored by almost a touchdown.  I think that is a little generous.  In fact, I think Georgia is playing just inconsistent enough to lose.  I think I just talked myself into an upset.  Texas 28, Georgia 24

Mississippi State at Missouri - 6.45p - SEC - Mizzou hasn't looked nearly as good since they lost their starting to quarterback to injury.  The Bulldogs have had brief flashes of brilliance.  The Tigers only losses are to Alabama, Vandy and A&M.  That's not a bad trio of teams to lose to.  Mizzou 27, Miss. State 24

Ok, all eight game are there in print for your approval.  I know in our part of Alabama it is supposed to be near 80 on Saturday, so your conscience may be telling you, do I work in the yard or watch college football?  I think I'll be watching football.

Adios my friends.  Be nice to each other

Tough Old Bird

Hey friends...... just a few thoughts on the past few days after Mom fell and broke her leg.

* After getting word of the accident from my stepsister Kerry, I was able to get hold of Mom in the St. Luke's Hospital ER.  Mom said she had never felt pain like that.  Ever.  Keep in mind she gave birth to two boys with big heads.  (insert your own joke here)

* I was stunned when she said, my last wish is that "you two boys love each other."  She was referring to my brother Barry and me.  I told her we did love each other; that has never been an issue.  But it bothered me she was using words like "last wish" and "if you remember one thing."

* The day after the break, Barry began a two-day drive from Virginia to St. Louis.  On Friday, Marilyn and I began a two-day drive from South Carolina to St. Louis.  

*  For the most part, I took care of notifying all the friends and family on our side of the family.  I also kept a dozen or so of my friends up to date on everything that was happening, as well as Mom's longtime friends.

*  Mom's surgery on Friday to repair her broken femur, which was a spiral fracture just below the hip, was canceled almost before it began.  As they were administering the anesthesia, her blood pressure plummeted and her heartrate spiked.  They stopped immediately and put off surgery for at least 24 hours.

*  Fortunately, the heart issues were resolved with medicines, and she was able to rest, but still she was worried the end was near, and she was not shy in sharing that with Barry and me.  

*  As a general rule, I am not a worrier, but this incident had me concerned.  My younger son Clayton called me from California where he lives.  His question was simple and to the point.  "Dad, should I be worried?"   My answer was yes.  

*  The thing is, and this is what I told Clayton, in the last 18 months, my mother has broken a leg, cracked her pelvis, had a partial hip replacement, broken her nose, had COVID, had breast cancer, had no telling how many UTI's, has dealt with heart and blood pressure issues where it was rising to levels like 210/100.  She has been through a lot.  I told Clayton all of this and said, "You know son, she's 89 years old and has been through a lot in the last 18 months.  Her body may just be saying enough is enough."

*  I had never heard my mom talk like this.  Neither had M or Barry, and we discussed this a couple of times as we drove across America to the Gateway City.  I was thinking about her funeral wishes.  Did I know them?  Are they written down anywhere?  I knew some things, like she was going to be buried next to my dad in Pocahontas, Arkansas, and I knew she wanted congregational singing and one of the songs to be "Be With Me Lord," and she wanted as many of her grandkids as possible to serve as pallbearers.  But other than that, I didn't know much.   After the Friday scare, I was even mentally writing her obit in my head.

*  But in the words of that great movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," came this attitude from my mother.  Not spoken mind you, but definitely her attitude.  "I'm not dead yet."

*  When we arrived Saturday afternoon, we drove directly in the hospital.  When we got to the room, it was standing room only.  My brother was there, as was my step-father Tom.  My cousin Rene was there (youngest child of my 102-year-old great-aunt), as was longtime family friend Lisa Childs Moon (growing up, Lisa and Paige Staggs were the sisters I never had.).  Sitting in a chair across the room was Gail Wilson, Mom's best friend growing up, who now lives in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  I am not exaggerating when I say Mom and Gail have known each other for over 80 years.  When I talked to Gail on Friday to tell her about what was happening, her daughter Karen texted me about two hours later asking if it would be ok if they came up.  Gail wanted to see Mom.  I said there is nothing she would like more.

* During the visiting, talking and quietness after the guests left, mom's nurse Kellee was in and out, as she was on this Sunday.  She was the MVP.  She was never too busy to talk to Mom, answer our questions, explain medical terminology.  She even took 15 minutes this morning to read and dissect mom's MRI from yesterday.  I plan on writing St. Luke's praising her work.

*  When M and I left the hospital Saturday night, surgery to repair the shattered femur was set for Sunday morning.  We did not have an exact time, but were told Sundays were pretty laid back, so probably mid-to late morning.  Imagine my surprise this morning when Kellee calls me at 6.50 saying they are doing the surgery at 7.30, hurry up and get here if you want to see your mom.   Well, M was in the shower, so we didn't make it before they took her down to surgery.  Barry couldn't find his key FOB to his truck (he later did, yay), so he didn't make it either, nor did Tom.  As my friend Mike Rager said, "so much for laid-back."

*  The surgery took less than two hours.  She had no problems with the anesthesia, which we later found out was minimal.  When the surgeon Dr. Wegman called me at 10.12a, and I started talking to him, every conversation stopped and all eyes were on me.  When he told me she was in recovery and everything had gone well, I did the only thing I knew to do while talking to him.  I gave the others a "thumbs-up," and to quote Monty Python again, "there was much rejoicing."

*  Later, when Mom got back to the room, she was still groggy, a lot sleepy, but still alert enough to greet everyone in the room.  She hugged and was happy to see Tom, she reached out to Gail and let her older son kiss her on the forehead.  At one point, when it was just she and I, she said to me with very clear eyes, "I was scared."  She repeated those exact words to M later in the day.

* Mom has a long way to go.  She'll be in the hospital most of the week, then probably three or four weeks of residential rehab, followed by another four to six months of rehab, and she can forget driving for a while.

*  I don't know how close my mom was to dying.  I know Kellee was concerned, I know Barry's wife Sheila, who holds a doctorate in nursing and taught nursing on the university level for a dozen years or so years said it was "serious."  That was all I needed to know.

*  I am a strong believer in prayer.  I've seen prayers answered all my life.  I know God hears us; I truly believe that.  I also know sometimes the answer is no, and I accept God's will, his decisions.

*  I reached out to a lot of family, long-time friends of the family and asked them to pray for Mom.  Their prayers were heard, and I am very grateful for their love and concern and willingness to lift Mom up in prayer.

*  I am also going to list some people by name.  All of them are friends, and everyone I am comfortable calling at any time and saying, "I need your prayers."  These are the individuals I depend on, that I am closest to.  I am naming them because they are always there when I need them, no questions asked.  They include (alphabetically); Allison Blair, Donnie Daugherty, Kim Eastep, Justin McGill, Amanda Miller, Mike Rager, Ken Springer, Jeff Walton, and Will Young.  There are no words to describe how much I love these individuals.

*  Special thank you to Justin Pannell, our minister at Sherrod Ave, Kyle Johnson, the minister at Lafayette, where Mom and Tom attend, and Larry Owen, a retired minister whose wise counsel I treasure.

*  My three step-sibs, or if you prefer, my "bonus" sibs, Kim, Jeff and Kerry, who all live in the St. Louis area and deeply love my mother and care for her.  Barry and I can never repay that.

*  Finally, my brother-in-law Mike Mason, whom I love and respect deeply.  I am so grateful he prayed for me and talked to me at a time when I was uncertain which direction things were going to go.

*  Back in February, Mom had taken a nasty fall and fractured her pelvis, making it necessary to do a partial hip replacement.  There were some complications, and she was put in a medically induced coma and was in ICU for close to a week.  One day, while sitting next to her bed while she lay motionless, I was talking to the ICU nurse, discussing mom's case.  In no uncertain terms, she said Mom was, "a very sick girl."  But just as quickly she added, "but I'll tell you this, she's a tough old bird."  Yes, yes she is.

SEC Picks - Week 11

 Hey kids, back home on this Friday night, been a wild last few days.  As most of you know my mother fell on Wednesday evening and broke her leg, so we left Hilton Head a few days early and drove home today and are heading to St. Louis tomorrow.  Just keep her in your prayers.

I just don't feel like writing tonight.  My mind is elsewhere, but I need to get these predictions out.  I promise a return to the full predictions next week.  Thanks for understanding.

Georgia at Mississippi State - 11a - ESPN - Georgia 30, Mississippi State 24

The Citadel at Ole Miss - Noon - SEC - Ole Miss 45, Citadel 13

Texas A&M at Missouri - 2.30p - ABC - A&M 35, Mizzou 30

Auburn at Vanderbilt - 3p - SEC - Vandy 38, Auburn 17

LSU at Alabama - 6.30p - ABC - Bama 31, LSU 21

Florida at Kentucky - 6.30p - SEC - Kentucky 28, Florida 26

That is it for this week.   Sorry it's not much.  Be kind to each other

SEC Picks - Week 10

 Hey campers, welcome back to another week of Dalton has no idea what he is talking about, it's obvious he doesn't know a thing about college football.  Ok, so what's your point?

For the second week in a row and third time in last four weeks, I took a beating in the early games.  I don't know what it is about those games played with a before noon kickoff.   I mean, I figured Oklahoma had a two percent chance to beat Ole Miss.  Wrong!  Then there was Auburn, with the way the Hogs were scoring points under interim Coach Bobby Petrino, i thought they would put up 40 or 50 easy on snakebit Tigers.  Wrong!   Oh well, I went 4-3, which is still a winning record.....barely.   I am now 25-12 in conference games and overall I am 68-20.  Still not bad, but I expect better.  Judging from the text messages, some of you do as well.

Only six games this week, and one again they are all conference games, so let's take a look.

Vanderbilt at Texas - 11a - ABC - Well, might as well have the best game of the day play first.  Texas has been better the last week or two and they are at home.  Vandy, well Vandy has looked like they sold their soul or something.  They held the high-scoring Missouri Tigers top 10 points last week.  I'm going with Vandy till they lose.  Vandy 33, Texas 27

Georgia v. Florida (at Jacksonville) - 2.30p - ABC - Kick-off for the annual duel of the two schools at the Gator Bowl, begins at 3.30P (EDT), which means the "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" has already begun.  Pace yourself folks, moderation is the key.  Georgia 42, Florida 21

Mississippi State at Arkansas - 3p - SEC - Mississippi State had Texas beat for about 59 minutes last Saturday, only to lose in overtime.  Both teams have been playing better the past couple of weeks and don't have anything to show for it.  I thought Arkansas had Auburn's number, and it wasn't even close.  Blame it on the rain I guess.  Either way, I'm not picking them again until they win.  Miss. State 31, Arkansas 30

South Carolina at Ole Miss - 6p - ESPN - Last week the Gamecocks gave Alabama all they wanted and more.  Unfortunately, Alabama turned it up a notch or two in the second half and won.  I don't think South Carolina has a gear to play with Ole Miss.  Man that 2-0 start they had must seem like a lifetime ago.  Ole Miss 47, South Carolina 24

Kentucky at Auburn - 6.30p - SEC - Since Alabama has the week off, most Tide faithful will spend this Saturday sticking pins in Auburn kewpie dolls.  Hey, keeps them out of the pool hall.  I wonder if Coach/Sen./wannabe Gov. Turbeville will be there soliciting votes.  Hint, "Just say no."  Still Auburn should win easily.  If they lose, well say good-bye Coach Freeze.  Auburn 32, Kentucky 14

Oklahoma at Tennessee - 6.30p - ABC - I'm thinking this might be an enjoyable game.  Say, didn't Tennessee Coach Huepel used to play quarterback for the Sooners?  Nah, no incentive on either side in this one.  Tennessee 38, Oklahoma 34 (Note: If there is a World Series Game 7, it would conflict with this game, so y'all will need to send me texts with updates.  But if Toronto wins Friday night, then I'll be watching football with you. Priorities you know.)

Have a great weekend y'all.  Don't forget to turn your clicks back as far as you want.

Reflections of a Former Shepherd

Good morning to you wherever you are.  I am writing this on a rainy Monday morning in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

M and I worship with the Sherrod Ave. Church of Christ in Florence, Ala.  We have been there for 11 years, ever since we moved to Alabama from Arkansas.  Our Shepherds (elders) recently announced they hope to be adding additional Shepherds by the end of the year.  I applaud that decision and feel we need to add new shepherds.

I have been thinking about writing ever since they made the announcement a couple weeks ago.  I was blessed, honored, humbled to have been a Shepherd for two different congregations for a total of 11 years.  First the West Ridge church in Pocahontas, Ark. and at Sherrod Ave.  My father was a Shepherd for over 25 years.  Her served two congregations as well, one in Missouri, and the West Ridge church in Pocahontas.

As we at Sherrod approach this important decision, I wanted to offer some thoughts, maybe some advice, maybe some regrets of my time as a Shepherd.  I know some of the readers of this blog are currently shepherds, may have been a shepherd, or may be a shepherd in the future.

My two cents.

1 Timothy and Titus are not requirements, merely suggestions - Why do I say that?  Easy, if Paul's writings about the qualifications were to be taken literally, the list would be the same in both books.  They are not.  Yes, some things are mentioned in both places, but many are mentioned in one book, but not the other.  I feel rather than a checklist of qualifications, Paul is giving a list of desired attributes saying you want men with these types of qualities, who demonstrate this type of life.

The appointment should not be forever - Do I have a scriptural basis for this?  No, I don't.  But there is also no scriptural basis saying the appointment is for life either.  We have all known men who served admirably as shepherds but came to a point where they just needed to step aside.  Whether it be for age, for health reasons, or some other personal reason.  I stepped aside for three reasons last year.  For me, it was the right thing to do.  There is no dishonor in stepping aside, just as there is no special honor for staying too long.  As a shepherd, ask yourself why you are serving, is it for your benefit, or the people you are shepherding.

Make sure your wife is on board - I cannot emphasize this enough.  Becoming a shepherd takes a lot of time and commitment, frequently at the expense of time with your family.  This is a partnership; she needs to support you and needs to fully understand what the commitment entails.  Here is a tough part.  With most of us, our wife is our best friend.  As a shepherd, you will be entrusted with information, made aware of situations that you just cannot share with her.  If I needed to talk to someone about a certain situation, I would call my brother-in-law in Arkansas, who was (and still is) a shepherd.  It helped talking to someone who understands what you are going through.

You are shepherding the flock where you attend, not another church - When I was a deacon in Arkansas, we had a situation where the other two congregations in town disapproved of an event we had planned.  One of them even went so far to say if we went forward with it, they would quit supporting the local children's home, the organization the event was raising money for.  One of our wise, seasoned elders spoke up during this shepherds/deacons meeting, and I will never forget what he said.  He told us, "Our salvation does not depend on what another congregation thinks of us."  Guys, that is wisdom.  Do not let another church dictate what you believe is the right thing to do for your flock.  Be strong, be united, don't be afraid.

Unity does not mean unanimous - Make no mistake, I am not saying there isn't unity.  When a decision is made there must be unity.  Not only is it necessary to present a unified front to the flock, but it is also a Biblical command.  In my 11 years as a shepherd, there were many, many issues we were unanimous on.  In fact, I would say that was true a majority of the time.  But there were also times, when as a group discussing an issue, we were as divided as night and day.  We might discuss it for two hours and no one had changed their position, so the issue might get tabled until the next meeting.  I am against that, stay until it gets resolved.  At Sherrod, for most of my time as a shepherd, there were nine of us.  I remember being on the short end of numerous 7-2 or 6-3 votes.  Was I upset the others did not see it the way several of us did?  Sure I was, and I still maintain to this day the two or three of us were right in our convictions.  But, once a decision is made, a vote is taken, if your stand was not chosen, you swallow your pride, because as I said earlier, it is mandatory to present a unified front.

Pick your battles - This goes along somewhat with what I just said about unity.  My dad was a very, very wise man.  When he passed away in 2009, one of his fellow shepherds came up to me and said, "your dad was an elder's elder."  To me that spoke volumes about his character, which I of course already knew.  Dad and I would have lunch together every Friday, often discussing being a shepherd, what it entailed.  Much like King Charles is grooming Prince William, my dad was grooming me for what was to come.  One of his pearls of wisdom was "pick your battles."  In essence, what he was saying, if there is an issue you feel strongly about, give it everything you have, do what you can to convince the others.  He was saying, there will be a lot of issues come your way, there will be some, that you feel so strongly about, you are willing to throw yourself on the sword.  Be firm in what you believe in.  I have several wounds to show for my battles.

Be prepared for criticism - This is hard, but let's be real, decisions will be made that are unpopular, whether it be disciplining a member of the flock, firing a staff member, or your refusal of a request.  Someone is always going to be unhappy.  This is natural, but as I will discuss later, deal with it in love.  Don't be discouraged just because someone disagrees with you.  I always worried if no one questioned a decision.

You are a sinner - You are not perfect, you make mistakes, some more serious than others, you are a sinner, just like those you lead.  Remember your imperfections, don't be afraid to share them with others.  It certainly helps build trust with the flock when they know you are as imperfect as they are.

Some members of the flock will gravitate to you - There is nothing wrong with this at all.  At Sherrod, the nine of us had differing personalities, and let's be honest, there are personalities we just don't like dealing with.  I'm the same way, and so it is with the flock.  Within weeks of becoming an elder, I had several come to me and say if they had a problem or question, they were coming to me because "I was their elder."  Be humbled by that but embrace it.  There is nothing wrong with members of the flock having "favorite" shepherds.  Remember, they are showing trust in you, and to be an effective shepherd, you have to have the trust of those you are shepherding.  One last thing, I resigned as a shepherd two years ago, and I still have individuals coming to me to talk because they still consider me "their" shepherd.  You know what, I listen and do my best to counsel them.

Be transparent and available - You probably know this more than anything I've said or will say but be available.  That means get there early and be prepared to stay late.    If you miss class because someone needs to talk, praise the Lord, you were there to talk to them.  If someone has a question about a decision or has trouble with sin, explain the decision as best you can, pray with those who need someone to pray with.  This is all part of the job, and let me add, a very rewarding part of the job.

Be humble - You are the leaders of the Lord's church.  Guide, teach, but be humble.  Do not be a Pharisee or a high priest, that is not in the job description at all.  What is it James said, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."  It is an honor to be asked to serve as a shepherd, but that does not mean you act like a boss.

Be diligent in prayer - As a shepherd probably the most important thing you can do is have a healthy prayer life.  Pray earnestly for wisdom, for guidance, for all the saints you have been charged to shepherd.  Pray for God's church, that everything you do as a shepherd is according to His will and is pleasing to him.  Pray for those who are in need of prayer, be specific in your prayers to the Father.  Remember, you can never pray too much.

Love - Our savior said the greatest command was to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all of our soul.  The second is like it, to love our neighbor as ourselves.  This is not rocket science.  If we do not demonstrate love in all of our actions, then you have no business being a shepherd.  With every person you engage, with every decision you make, for every discipline you hand out, do it first and foremost with an attitude of love.  Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians, "love never fails."

I hope this writing has been an encouragement to you, whether you are currently a shepherd, or perhaps contemplating your desire to be one someday if asked.  If that is the case, may God bless you in that quest.  But my thoughts come from my time as a shepherd, my observations of growing up in the church, and having a father as a shepherd.

If you have a question, or disagree with anything I have to say, that's fine.  You know how to get hold of me if you want to talk about it.

Blessings my friends.  Be kind to each other.

Blessings

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday; and wherever you are, wherever you attend, I hope you had a great day of worship and time together with the Father.

A few blogs ago I talked some about how as I age, and hopefully grow more mature in the Scriptures, some of the ways I look at things have changed.  My basic beliefs--that God is the creator of all things that he sent his son Jesus to earth to live and die and that he is coming again--those ideas have not changed and will never change.

But as believers and students of the Word, our focus expands and becomes part of our daily study routine.

I am going to brag on my wife Marilyn. She is such a blessing to me I can't even begin to number the many ways in which I am blessed.  In the past couple of weeks, I have learned (I guess I don't pay real good attention), that as part of her daily Bible study, she keeps a gratitude journal, that is, things she is thankful for and the many blessings in her life.

As we were talking this afternoon, I asked her how she got started keeping her gratitude journal.  She mentioned a study in a ladies' class at West Ridge in Pocahontas (where we used to live) focusing on how important it is to have an attitude of gratitude.  M keeps a journal that she faithfully writes in nearly every day filling it with things she is grateful for.  She told me she tries to list at least 10 things every time she writes in it.

In her current journal she has written 1,090 different things she is grateful for.  How many can you list?  Our life is filled with blessings, more than the big things like God and his providential care for us, the homes we have, the food we eat, the friends we have.  It is the little things we need to be grateful for as well.  The little things that are blessings, that are part of our daily lives, all too often go by with little thought of them.

I asked M to pull her book out this afternoon and just share some things to give you an idea of things in this life we can and should be grateful for, things that are a blessing that we should thank God for every day.  Here is a small portion of her list, picked at random, and it is a wide-range of gratitude.  From number one to number 1090, and a few in between.

1 - A warm home

50 - Ceiling fans

102 - Bacon

140 - The peace I have knowing I am covered by the blood of the Lamb

153 - Hot coffee!

228 - The sound of frogs

326 - Pat's [Riner] lesson on sound Wednesday night

645 - Time to think

719 - A bowl full of freshly picked tomatoes

824 - The life of Stephen Darwin

838 - My nap this afternoon

947 - The hope I have in God

1090 - For Fred's good lesson and class this morning [at the HHI Church of Christ]

Do you see what M is trying to do?  Think outside the box, open your eyes to the things around you, be thankful for them, be thankful on a daily basis.

I have a challenge for you.  Get a small spiral notebook, or a journal of some sort, and write "Gratitude Journal" on it.  Start small as you get used to the concept of writing.  Each day, write down five blessings in your life.  Things you have a heart of gratitude about.  If you think of more than five, super.  But list them.  Put the date down but keep your numbers going from day-to-day.

Count your blessings, name them one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God hath done;

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

- Count Your Blessings - Johnson Oatman, Jr.  (1897)

My first five you ask?  Easy, a mix.

1.  For God, who loves me 

2.  For M, who loves me 

3.  For Hilton Head Island, my favorite place to be on earth

4.  For the God-given ability to write

5.  For baseball

Take care of each other.  I sincerely love all of you and am very grateful for all of you.  See you next time.

 Lord hath done.

SEC Picks - Week 9

 (Hilton Head Island, SC) - Greetings my fellow SEC lovers from the Low Country of South Carolina.  M and I are here for a bit, but that doesn't mean we are not focused on this week's slate of games.  Though I admit, my attention is on the World Series as well, but more on that later.

Last week we had eight conference games, this week, we have seven, with Florida and Georgia getting to sleep in late on Saturday.  Similar to last week, we have some games this week with meaning, games that could affect which members of the SEC make the 12-team college football playoff.  Afterall, there are five SEC teams in the top 10 so there is going to be some beating each other up.

I got beat up last week, missing badly on a couple of games.  That's ok, live and learn.  Though it did chap me a little that a couple of guys at church last Sunday pointed out my failings.  Grrrr.  Anyway, last week, I went 5-3 in conference games, incorrectly picking LSU, South Carolina and Ole Miss, so I am now 21-9 in conference games and 64-17 overall, so my percentages took a little bit of a hit.

Ok, get the sweet tea made, have some nachos or bowl of chili ready and let's take a look at this weekend's games.

Ole Miss at Oklahoma - 11a - ABC - Both are 6-1 but are coming off entirely different games.  Ole Miss did not play that great in losing to Georgia.  Meanwhile Oklahoma, after laying an egg against Texas, looked strong on the road at South Carolina.  Can the Rebels regroup?  Can the Sooners maintain the momentum?  When in doubt, go with the home team.  Oklahoma 38, Ole Miss 30

Auburn at Arkansas - 11.45a - SEC - I guess we could call this the "Bottom-Feeder Bowl."  of the 16 teams in the SEC, Arkansas is 14th, Auburn is tied for 15th.  Neither one has yet to win a conference game.  That will change on Saturday afternoon.  Neither team is that good, though Auburn has had some terrible luck, which may or may not be due to bad coaching, I'll let you decide.  Arkansas is 0-2 since Bobby Petrino took over, but I will say this for them, they are scoring a boatload of points against two pretty good teams, 31 against Tennessee and 42 against Texas A&M.    I'll take the Hogs.  Arkansas 49, Auburn 37

Missouri at Vanderbilt - 2.30p - ESPN - There are six teams in the SEC that have 6-1 records.  Mizzou and Vandy are two of them.  This is such a big game that ESPN Game Day will be in Nashville.  I spent almost half my life in Missouri, and love the Tigers, and as much as I want to go with my heart, I just can't see Mizzou winning.  Vandy is on a roll, and they are at home.  Vandy 31, Mizzou 26

Alabama at South Carolina - 2.30p - ABC - Good thing the condo has two televisions.  I'll be watching Mizzou, and Miss M will be cheering on the Tide.  After a horrendous opening game against Florida State, Alabama is looking like the Alabama of old.  Alabama 30, South Carolina 17

Texas at Mississippi State - 3.15p - SEC - The Longhorns come to Starkville!  Hope they enjoy their time in east-central Mississippi.  They should go home with a win.  Even though I would love to see the Bulldogs win.  Texas 40, Mississippi State 28

Texas A&M at LSU - 6.30p - ABC - The Tigers started off 4-0 with wins over Florida and Clemson.  But they have lost two out of their last three, losing on the road at Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, but it is Saturday Night in Baton Rouge, and I don't care if the Aggies are undefeated.  "Laissez les bons temps rouler."  LSU 44, A&M 33

Tennessee at Kentucky - 6.45p - SEC - Ok, we all know Kentucky played well last week against Texas.  But can they do it two weeks in a row?  I think not.  I won't be watching this game, I hope to be eating some spicy, blackened seafood.  Geaux Tigers!  Oops, sorry wrong game.  The Vols will prevail.  Tennessee 34, Kentucky 24

Ok kids, your week nine picks have hit the Internet, use caution as always since these picks are for your entertainment only.  No actual wagering should be done based on my questionable train of thought.

World Series Bonus Pick - I will admit I am rooting for the Blue Jays.  I like the Dodgers, they have former Cardinal Tommy Edman and former Brave Freddie Freeman, and I think their manager, Dave Roberts is a good guy.  But their payroll dwarfs the Blue Jays, and the Dodgers have won two of the past five World Series.  I'll take Toronto in seven.

Enjoy the fall like weather.  Be nice to each other.

Looney Tunes

 Saturday morning before the football games started, I was perusing social media, not really looking for anything in particular, when a post on Instagram by somebody I didn't know grabbed my attention.  This particular poster wrote, "It was not officially Saturday until this came on." Below that simple sentence was a short video, less than a minute, that totally summed up my Saturday mornings from the time I was five or six until I was well, I'm not ashamed to admit, well into my 20's, maybe 30.  It was a theme song.  Since I can't play it on this blog, I'll give you the words.  See if you can figure it out.

Overture, curtain, lights.

This is it, the night of nights,

No more rehearsing and nursing a part, 

We know every part by heart.

Overture, curtain, lights.

This is it, we'll hit the heights, 

And oh what heights we'll hit, 

On with the show this is it.

Tonight what heights we'll hit, 

On with the show this is it!

I would dare say any serious watcher of cartoons no matter their age or sex, is already singing along with the above words, brought to us by the brilliant people at Warner Bros., the theme song to Looney Tunes.

I can still remember Saturday mornings, my brother and I would get up early, say seven or so, get a bowl of Cheerios or Frosted Flakes, and head to the couch in the family room and sit transfixed for the next 90 minutes watching Looney Tunes and the latest adventures of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck Sylvester and Tweedy, Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd and others.

As silly as the cartoons were, we laughed hysterically every time Elmer Fudd shot Daffy Duck's beak.  Daffy would always have to manually readjust it.  Or when Wile E. Coyote would get a package from ACME.  We just knew whatever contraption was inside, he would put it together, be outsmarted by Roadrunner, and with a "beep, beep," it would blow up in his face, and he would drag the remnants back to wherever to try again.

60 years later I can still recall some of my favorite lines from these characters.  I quote these lines so often, M has turned the tables and used them on me a few times.  Ever have your wife call you an "ultra-maroon?"

The Looney Tunes were far ahead of their time, starting in the '40's and running for over 50 years on CBS and ABC.  They can still be seen on various cable channels, or do what I do, watch episodes on YouTube.   They were good because of the direction of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob McKimson, Bob Clampett and Tex Avery.  They gave the characters life and Mel Blanc's voice gave them personality.  Which meant we wanted to watch them over and over and over.

Like we all had our favorite Beatle, we all had our favorite Looney Tunes character as well.  Here are some of mine, and why I liked them, with maybe a quote or two.

Bugs Bunny - The star of the show.  The wise-cracking bunny who sounded like he came from the Lower East Side in New York, could always be seen chomping on a carrot.  Bugs gave the world, among other great quotes, "eh, what's up doc?"  How about popping out of his hole with a map and announcing, "Pismo Beach, and all the clams you can eat."  Not seeing the beach anywhere, he scratches his head and says, "I knew I should have made that left turn in Albuquerque."  He also gave us, "of course you know this means war," and as I mentioned earlier, "what an ultra-maroon."  Bugs is timeless.

Foghorn Leghorn - Whoever created Foghorn must have really liked him, because in my opinion, he has the best lines, some of which, if you were a devoted watcher of Looney Tunes, you can probably still quote.  Doing battle with dog next door or the chicken hawk, our favorite character uttered these beauties.  "Go, I say go away boy, you bother me."  How about, "That dog is as subtle as a hand grenade in a bowl of oatmeal."  Talking to the chicken hawk, "Pay attention to me boy! I'm not talking to hear my head roar."  Finally, "Now who's, who is responsible for this unwarranted attack on my person?"  I do love Foghorn Leghorn.

Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote - The coyote's endless pursuit across the barren desert landscape of the quick roadrunner.  Every segment between these two had no dialog, just music, except for Roadrunner occasionally saying "beep-beep."  That's it.  No dialog was necessary.  In each 10-minute cartoon, Wile E. Coyote would invariably run off a cliff, get hit by a train or bus, or crushed by an anvil.  Every time he would fall off the cliff, his eyes would get big, and his body smaller and smaller, until you couldn't see him.  Then a second later, there would be a puff of dust coming up off the desert floor.

Yosemite Sam - Yosemite Sam was short, I mean, seriously short and had a gigantic, small-man complex.  He had red hair and a huge red moustache and an oversized 10-gallon cowboy hat on his head, and always carried a pair of six-shooters.  A tough guy in the old west, who after being outsmarted by Bugs, would nearly always say, "You rackin', frackin' varmint!"  I'm not sure what rackin' frackin' means, but it still makes me laugh.  One time I remember after a rough battle Yosemite Sam finds himself in Hell.  Looking around and not knowing where he is, he uttered this classic, "man, it's hot in here, where am I, Dallas?"  Finally, in another episode, he found himself in the company of some folks who didn't understand him.  His response, "Great horny-toads, I'm surrounded by idjits."  I'm sure he meant idiots, but that is not the way it came out of his mouth.

Stay with me, only three more.

Elmer Fudd - Poor Elmer, he was just too innocent and was always being outsmarted by Bugs, and Daffy for that matter.  I cannot look at Elmer Fudd without thinking of his signature line.  Like before, I'm going to type it as it sounded coming out of his mouth.  "Shhhh, be vewwy, vewwy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits."  Elmer is so much fun, even though he is always on the short end of the joke, he rarely gets angry.

Daffy Duck - Finally we get to the co-star of the show.  The foil of Bugs' jokes, he gets fed up with Bugs in nearly every episode and reminds him, "You're despicable."  Mel Blanc's interpretation of Daffy was to give him a slight lisp, while the animators had him spewing saliva every time he hurled an insult. Daffy is always trying to outsmart Bugs, which gave us great lines like, "I'm so crazy I don't know this isn't possible."  Actually I kind of like that one.  Along that same line he said, "obviously no one understands the level of insanity I operate at."  Last one I'll leave you with from Daffy is actually good advice.  "You can't control who comes into your life, but you can control what window you throw them out of."

Speedy Gonzalez - I mention the little Hispanic mouse because when my age was still in the single digits, I learned my first two words of Spanish from Speedy.  he was always running around yelling, "Andale! Andale! Arriba! Arriba!"  For those not familiar with Espanol, he was saying "hurry up, hurry up, let's go, let's go!"

As Porky Pig would say at the end of every show, "That's All Folks!"

I really hope I didn't bore you with my recollections of Looney Tunes.  M was watching a British murder mystery on BritBox or Acorn or Prime, something, and I kept imitating Mel Blanc.  Be glad you weren't here for that.  It wasn't pretty.  One thing they did, was make me laugh, and now, 60 years later, they still make me laugh, and really, that is not such a bad thing.

Have a great week.  Be kind to each other.

SEC Picks - Week 8

 Hey kids, welcome back to the eighth week of the college football season.  We are more than halfway through the season, and picking games is getting a little bit tougher, with this week being no different.  The 16 teams that make up the SEC will all be playing each other this week.  That's right, no non-conference games, just eight pure, fierce conference games.  As M said, "a week of cannibalization."  I couldn't have put it better myself.

Last week was a so-so week for your friendly prognosticator.  I went 5-2 overall, giving me a season record of 59-14, which is a winning percentage of .808.   I can live with that.  In conference games last week, I went 4-2.  I thought Mizzou might beat Alabama at home.  They didn't, losing by three at Faurot Field.  I also thought Oklahoma would handle Texas at the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl.  Boy, I really blew that one.  The Longhorns played like most thought they would play all year.   But going 4-2 in the SEC last week gives me a season record of 16-6, or a winning percentage of .727, which is fairly decent.

We have a lot of games to look at, almost all of them should be exciting, as only one game, Texas-Kentucky, has a point spread greater than 10 points.  No cupcakes this week.  On to the picks!

LSU at Vanderbilt - 11a - ABC - I never, ever would have believed both teams would be 5-1 at this point.  The Tigers had a struggle win at home against South Carolina last week, while Vandy had the week off.  Vandy is favored in this one by a couple of points, but I cannot pick against LSU, as much as I don't like Brian Kelly.  LSU in a squeaker.  LSU 27, Vandy 25

Oklahoma at South Carolina - 11.45a - SEC - You would think the Sooners would be favored, and they are.  But after the egg they laid in Dallas last week, and the way the Gamecocks looked against LSU on the road, I'm going with the upset.  SC wins at home.  South Carolina 30, Oklahoma 28

Texas A&M at Arkansas - 2.30p - ESPN - They used to play this game in Arlington at Jerry Jones House, but now back to campuses, at least for a bit.  The hogs showed a little spark at Tennessee last week under Bobby Petrino.  The offense looked rejuvenated.  The Aggies dusted off Florida to remain undefeated and ranked fourth.  I don't care if the game is in Fayetteville, this is a much tougher challenge for the Razorbacks, and I just don't think they have the pigs to do it.  Aggies remain undefeated.  A&M 38, Arkansas 24

Ole Miss at Georgia - 2.30p - ABC - Well, well, well, the Rebels are still undefeated, and Lane Kiffin is looking like a genius bringing in a Division II quarterback from Ferris State.  Trinidad Chambless is looking like the second coming of Eli Manning.  Georgia is still good, their only loss coming to a rejuvenated Alabama squad.  I'm not a brainy, football guy, so I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just seems amiss with Georgia this year.  They are not dominating opposing teams which we have come to expect.  With all that being said........ Ole Miss 42, Georgia 28

Mississippi State at Florida - 3.15p - SEC - The Bulldogs are 4-2, the Gators are 2-4.  Records mean nothing as Florida is favored by nine.  Even if I didn't know that I would have picked Florida at home in the Swamp.  Florida 37, Mississippi State 25

Texas at Kentucky - 6p - ESPN - Texas should win, they should win easily.  'Nuff said.  Texas 52, Kentucky 17

Tennessee at Alabama - 6.30p - ABC - After watching Ole Miss beat Georgia, you should have enough time to put some burgers and hot dogs and brats on the grill, maybe some corn on the cob as well.  Don't forget to grill some onions as well.  You will want to watch this game, and not get up, except during halftime.  Both teams had tough games last week but survived.  Tennessee is looking good, but Alabama is looking really good.  Alabama 35, Tennessee 28

Missouri at Auburn - 6.45p - SEC - Mizzou did not look good against Alabama last week and still only loss by three.  Auburn, oh Auburn, you need direction, you're just so listless.  This is Mizzou's first road game of the year, so that may be a factor, but I don't really think so.  I, taking the Tigers at Jordan-Hare.  Mizzou 30, Auburn 21

Ok fellow SEC buddies, eight games, eight winners (we hope).  Should be a good day of football.  Keep the snacks handy and the beverages cold.  See you next week from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Home

 M and I spent this past weekend with her sister Paula and her husband, Mike.  After spending their working years primarily in the Little Rock area, they now live in a cabin on a ridge just outside Mountain View, Arkansas.

Located at the end of a gravel road off a dirt road, their place has magnificent views and more importantly, peace and tranquility.  When we are there, one of my favorite things to do is sit in a rocker on their front porch and watch the world go by.  Actually, nothing goes by except some birds, the gentle breeze, a stray dog, and occasional deer.

If I'm out there early in the morning, say before seven, it is not uncommon to see fog in the valley, hear the roosters down the road welcoming in the new day, or one of the mules a bit farther down the road stretching out their lungs.  It is not uncommon, say after midnight, to hear a pack of coyotes walking through the woods, letting the surrounding countryside know they are up and looking for dinner.  Mike, whom I have known since our freshman year at Harding fifty years ago, says hearing multiple coyotes howl at once will make your hair stand up on the back of your head.  It certainly gets your attention.

Did I mention it is just a few miles from White River, where there are plenty of trout waiting to be caught?  After Hilton Head, Mountain View is probably our favorite getaway, and we enjoyed this past weekend immensely.

But changing subjects slightly.  As we were making the 300-mile drive home on Monday afternoon, M and I were chatting about any number of things to pass the time.  Sometimes we listen to Sirius (Classic Vinyl, Beatles Channel or Radio Margaritaville), but other times, we just like to talk, and it really doesn't matter what the topic is.

Now I could pretend I am a family psychologist and extol the many virtues of spousal communication, but I'm not, and besides, almost all of you know that already.  Communication is not only a necessary thing, but also a healthy habit, a must for strong marriages.  

But while we were driving, I asked M if she was enjoying living back in Alabama.  It wasn't a trick question at all, and I think I knew the answer, but wanted to hear what she said.  After all, when we moved to the Shoals in the fall of 2014, M had spent the previous 42 years living in Arkansas.  Things have changed, which she acknowledged as she started telling me her thoughts.  She said moving back to the Shoals took some getting used to, but she was happy to here.  Then she said something I want to dwell on for a bit, she said, "Alabama will always be my home."

She has spent 29 years of her life in Alabama and 42 in Arkansas, and while she admitted she loved Arkansas, made wonderful friends and had great experiences, it wasn't home; Alabama was home.

She then turned the table on me, which surprised me a little, asking me how I liked living in Alabama.  I was honest, I told her I loved living in Alabama, a lot more than I thought I would.  But then she said, "but it's not home is it?"  No M, it's not.  She then answered for me, "Missouri is your home," and she is right, my home is Missouri.  But while I grew up there, unlike my wife, I have no desire to move back there.  I go back frequently and see my mother, who by the way, has a birthday on Thursday the 16th. I love seeing my 102-year-old great Aunt Roxie, perhaps the most amazing woman I've ever known.  She still lives in her home by herself and still cooks!  She has however given up driving.

I subscribe to MLB.com so I can watch the Cardinals, I can watch most Blues games on ESPN+, and watch Mizzou on the SEC Network.  The Weather Channel gives me the forecast every morning.  There is no need to go back.

I turned 68 earlier this summer. Of those 68 years, I spent 33 of them living in Missouri, 21 in Arkansas, 11 in Alabama and three in Florida.  But why is Missouri home for me?  Why is Alabama home for Marilyn?

I have a simple theory.  It is where we grew up.  I believe in our minds, when we think of "home," we think of happy times, times when we were surrounded by family, by friends, by good memories.  Home is where we went to church, grade school, middle school, high school, where we learned to drive, had our first date, our first kiss, and probably, if we are all honest, committed our first misdemeanor.  To my way of thinking, that is where home is, and I spent those young, impressionable years in Missouri.

Growing up, my lifetime friends were almost all from church.  A few are like me, Bruce Chilton, Sam Bates, my brother Barry, Linda Richardson, Sandy Frazier, Paige Staggs, Kim Holland, Kevin Uebelein, Sandy Smith, Leslie Davis.  We all grew up and went to church together in the St. Louis area, but for most of our post high school lives, we left "The Lou," and went to college and had careers elsewhere.  I wonder if I asked each of them, where is your home?  I wonder how many would say Missouri, or where they live now, out-state Missouri, Arkansas or Texas or Alabama or Tennessee or Virginia or Florida.

Home right now is Tuscumbia, Alabama; that is where M and I live.  But home, the home that shaped me, had such an influence on me, well, that home is about 375 miles to the northwest.

Thank you for spending some time with me.  Be kind to each other this week.  See you down the road.