Clarence runs like a bullet!

Nick Returns

Oldest son Nick returned yesterday from another six-month tour in harm's way, this time in Afghanistan.  It was Nick's sixth tour in a hostile environment during his 20-year Air Force career.

The Sixth Day

The reviews and comments continue to mount on my new publication, The Sixth Day: A 17,175-Word Novella About Creation and Prizefighting.  I was pleased -- but not necessarily surprised -- by the reception of my first four novels.  I suppose the one comment that set me back pleasantly on my heals is the comment that DWI: Dying While Intoxicated was "the perfect Greek Tragedy."  Whether or not it is, I appreciated the comment.  Frankly, I had no idea what to expect with my most recent work, The Sixth Day.  I've been delighted:

• "Parables have teaching or transformative intention that can work on hearers, and the resistant ones, covertly.  I believe The Sixth Day can act on its readers in that same, covert way."

• "Wow! What a beautiful book!  The writing was clean and simple."

• "Kraay can tackle any genre that involves character development, authentic dialogue and revolves around a story."

• "... a fascinating story that reminded me of The Green Mile.  Yes, we're all Jesus!  As dramatist and author William Saroyan wrote, 'If what is said about Jesus is not also true of us, what good is what he did?'"

• "Wonderful... by the 3rd day, I was able to 'speak' the words and found the language to be very important to the telling of the lovely story.  The old man's lingo and wisdom will light up your day."

• "Along with creative storytelling and wonderful dialog that kept a smile on my face for the 90 minutes it took to read the tale is a story about prizefighting that works wonderfully with what I viewed as the main story about Jesus.  At the conclusion, both story lines come together after brother Sam's big bout with 'the Polish Dropper' ends in stunning fashion, creating a sense of shock, and leaving the opportunity for the old man to prove if he is or is not in fact Jesus Christ."

• "... finished with an out loud chuckle, then just lay there with a smile on my face.  A very good story.  then my thoughts turned to it being a fine Parable.  What stays with me so much are the hidden 'quotes from Scripture' and explanations for the unexpected presence of Jesus Christ!  This short book is packed with 'to-the-point' themes of generosity of the really poor, sharing of food, friendship, and the right knit family of boys, the sacrifice of self by the oldest brother, Sam, and the good 'choices' of some humans making it all worth while to God for not 'quitting' midway through that sixth day!"

• "On a side note, the final line of the novella will go down as one of my all-time favorite lines from any book.  You'll have to read the book for yourself to learn what that eight-word sentence is.  Quick and wonderful read, masterfully done."

• "Hilarious!"

Spread the word.... The Sixth Day.... the day God almost quit!

Jupiter and Its Moons

With the NCAA Basketball Tournament a part of history, your Mom and I don't watch TV anymore.  Instead, we wait for the first star.  Last night, it wasn't a star, but a planet, Jupiter.  You can see it if you look West.  We don't have a telescope, but I was excited when we could see several moons -- all of the Galileans for sure -- with the binoculars.  By the time it got very dark, we could see seven moons of Jupiter.  You don't need a telescope.  Binoculars will do.  I was not able to see them with the naked eye.  Hope you take advantage of this.

One week without a computer

I just made it through a week without a computer.  I did not do it voluntarily although I might consider it in the future.  The "CHKDSK" function got trapped in a loop and I took it down to the shop.  They claimed they were stumped, and I got it back a week later.  The week had benefits ...

I still got up at 0400.  I spent no more than 15 minutes on Mom's computer, then I moved over to my desk and read The Bhagavad Gita until I left for church at 0600.  The time I spent on tBG alone was worth the computer crash.  I spent many more hours on my bike and hiking in the mountains.  I am well ahead of where I was in 2010 and 2011 on the same dates.  I built railings on the deck so my father could descend and come back safely.  I worked on the cactus garden I began behind the house.  I put in eight hours of consulting work I might have turned down if I had my computer.  I initiated daily 'passage meditation.'  I learned a new song on my flute, the Yaqui Deer Dance.  I played my piano more.  I slowed down.  I chose a mantrum.  I used the mantrum.  I prayed more.

Having said that, I am glad to have the computer back so I can get back to my blogs and the three book manuscripts I'm working on.  One of the first things I did when I loaded up Microsoft Office was to schedule monthly backups for

• my address book
• my saved email
• my photos
• favorite places on your browser

I do a good job of backing up my manuscripts, so that wasn't an issue, but losing the address book and the saved emails was a killer.  Fortunately I just transferred all 2011 photos to disk.  Also, the guys who fixed the computer recovered all the data in 'My Documents,' but its crucial to know that your address book and emails aren't stored in your documents.

That's it for now.  I survived the week and came out stronger for it.  As a reminder to you all ... BACK UP YOUR EMAIL AND ADDRESS BOOKS!

The Battle to Come from Carmina Gadelica

“The Celtic missionaries allowed the pagan stock to stand, grafting their Christian cult thereon. Hence the blending of the pagan and the Christian religions in these poems, which to many minds will constitute their chief charm. Gaelic lore is full of this blending and grafting--nor are they confined to the literature of the people, but extend indeed to their music, sculpture, and architecture. At Rodail, Harris, is a cruciform church of the thirteenth century. The church abuts upon a broad square tower of no great height. The tower is called 'Tur Chliamain,' tower of Clement, 'Cliaman Mor Rodail,' Great Clement of Rodail. Tradition says that the tower is older than the church, and the masonry confirms the tradition.

There are sculptures within the church of much originality of design and of great beauty of execution, but the sculptures without are still more original and interesting. Round the sides of the square tower are the figures of birds and beasts, reptiles and fishes, and of men and women representing phallic worship. Here pagan cult joins with Christian faith, the East with the West, the past with the present. The traveller from India to Scotland can here see, on the cold, sterile rocks of Harris, the petrified symbols of a faith left living behind him on the hot, fertile plains of Hindustan. He can thus in his own person bridge over a space of eight thousand miles and a period of two thousand years.”

Alexander Carmichael

AN CATH NACH TAINIG IOSA Mhic Mhoire eighim air th’ ainm, Is air ainm Eoin ostail ghradhaich, Is air ainm gach naoimh ’s an domhan dearg, Mo thearmad ’s a chath nach tainig,      Mo thearmad ’s a chath nach tainig.    Duair theid am beul a dhunadh, Duair theid an t-suil a dhruideadh, Duair sguireas an anail da struladh, Duair sguireas an cridhe da bhuille,      Sguireas an cridhe de bhuille. Duair theid am Breitheamh dh’ an chathair, Is a theid an tagradh a shuidheach, Iosa Mhic Mhoire cobhair air m’ anam, A Mhicheil mhin gobh ri mo shiubhal.      Iosa Mhic Mhoire cobhair air m’ anam!      A Mhicheil mhin gobh ri mo shiubhal!

THE BATTLE TO COME JESUS, Thou Son of Mary, I call on Thy name, And on the name of John the apostle beloved, And on the names of all the saints in the red domain, To shield me in the battle to come,      To shield me in the battle to come. When the mouth shall be closed, When the eye shall be shut, When the breath shall cease to rattle, When the heart shall cease to throb,      When the heart shall cease to throb. When the Judge shall take the throne, And when the cause is fully pleaded, O Jesu, Son of Mary, shield Thou my soul, O Michael fair, acknowledge my departure.      O Jesu, Son of Mary, shield Thou my soul!      O Michael fair, receive my departure!

Bicycling across America and Climbing Mt. Everest in 2011

Despite all of the athletic things I did as a young man, I end 2011 with the feeling that even though I am 62, I may be as physically fit and even more than I ever have been.  It's been eight years since a hip replacement and the end of smoking.  It's been two full years of bicycling with gusto and hiking with passion.  If the tale is in the tape, I covered 4,324.59 intentionally man-powered miles:

• 4,034.69 on my bike (Mom did 2,467.18)
• 40.19 swimming in the pool (Mom did an incredible 83.72)
• 249.59 hiking in the desert (we always hike together)

I started the year with a biking goal of 3,000 miles after doing 2,700 in 2010.  Once I knew I would get there, I wanted to knock of 3,500 so I could say I biked from Presque Isle, Maine to San Diego.  I'm pleased to have knocked that off and then some.  We hike with a Garmin Forerunner.  Over those 250 hiking miles, we climbed in elevation 35,189 feet, nearly 7 miles, some 6,000 feet higher than Mt. Everest, and we were on the trails for 73 hours in the process.

Mom turns 60 in January.  We're feeling pretty good about ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually.  Life is Grand, and it will get even better.