Author: James Hogan

Dashing

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Well. I did not quite believe the forecasts but they proved to be right for once. And so I stepped out of my door this morning to be confronted with the almost-forgotten sight of snow on the ground. It has been a while, dear friend. And I did not expect to see a blanket of nice clean snow o’er top the city of Houston this morning, but there you go.

I have to say, it was a bit disconcerting(but wonderful!) driving around this morning. Driving to work in snow is a very normal occurrence in Scotland but not so here. So I felt as if I was in Aberdeen again for a bit, seeing the frosted tree tops and white roadsides flash by as I drove in. Of course, the (relatively) small bit of snow we got here is as nothing compared to a good Scottish winter. Although I was amused by one of the road-signs this morning: “ICY CONDITIONS. SNOW EXISTS. DRIVE WITH CAUTION.” Oh Houston. And yes, people in Houston really don’t understand snow. I was driving behind one person who had a blanket of snow entirely covering their rear windscreen. Um? Guess they didn’t feel like wiping it off before driving?? I put a good distance between them and I!!

Still – as fun as a small bit of snow is here…it’s nothing compared to driving in blizzard conditions down the A90. I don’t know if I miss that or not. Right now, yes. But if I was back in Scotland, I’d say no and that all snow should go away. Even though on a proper day – snow is wonderful. John texted me this morning from Aberdeen and notified me that it had snowed there too overnight! He sent me some pics from Calsayseat…scenes I’d seen many times before – grey and white everywhere. He also reminded me of our fun sledging adventure…sadly, that is almost impossible here in Houston – firstly, not enough snow. Secondly, not enough hills(or any?). I do miss John and wish we could recreate our winter fun day again!!

Also been texting with Chris – and since he and Jo and Lily are now in the south of England, it is warmer there than it is here. Definitely no snow there! I take some pride in the fact that it’s colder here. I also would be proud that as I was out and about this morning, I didn’t feel cold at all – didn’t even have my good wool coat(my “Scotland” coat as I like to think of it) zippered up. But I cannot take pride because I know the secret to staying warm – it is wearing long underwear. And since I’m wearing that, I can’t boast in my cold tolerance. But I can say I am very toasty and it is wonderful to be nice and warm inside when it’s so briskly cold outside!! Oh and of course, I got my peppermint mocha this morning and I can say that for once it’s very proper to get this drink since there is actual snow on the ground – and what drink goes better with snow than a peppermint mocha? Well, maybe a peppermint hot chocolate but it is early and caffeine. Y’know. Also saw Katie at Starbucks and she was super excited about the snow here too!! It is so fun how the snow puts us all in such good moods here in Houston…

Just one more note on the snow since I can and since it will melt soon and since we probably won’t get snow here in Houston for another eight years…so I must take advantage of it. The sight of snow really does cause so many Scotland memories to come flooding back…so many times walking into town with the crunch of snow underneath my boots and flurries of snow past my ears. Good memories because they’re associated with good friends and God’s goodness to me. Abounding in faithfulness, always.

Farewell, dear friends – peace and love and warmth and joy!

A Little Bit of Sunshine

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And so another week comes to a beginning. It is a nice morning, complete with peppermint mocha(as is tradition for a Monday!) and I am quite possibly a little looking forward to the work week? Shocking. The weekend was busy(my only quiet night was Friday – thankfully I did make sure to keep that night free so I had a nice evening reading Lord of the Rings…) but though I am now tired from the weekend, it was filled with lovely times with friends so I cannot complain. Game night at Erica and Emily’s last night…lots of laughter and banter and it was beautiful. Got a nice chat with Earnie and Mandy on the way home…oh do I love those guys! This morning, took my sleepy self to Starbucks and got to chat(briefly!) with Katie and Kelli there – realized that I was not the only sleepy one since Katie had pulled an all nighter for school stuff – no sleep at all!! So I suppose that I should be thankful I at least got a few hours!!

Driving to work, was listening to one of my latest mixes…and got to enjoy hearing some classic Needtobreathe. Love their song “More Heart, Less Attack”. Music is indeed so powerful and yet again I was reminded of that as my soul rejoiced to that song – hearing the piano and then the harmonica kick in just brought a chill to the back of my neck and a thrill to my heart. Gorgeous music that reminds me of my longing for something that is beyond my grasp. That yearning for a greater call, a brighter star, a deeper love, that far country.

Now as you can probably tell, this entry is sleepy itself – apparently I haven’t had enough caffeine yet – and it is just about time to start work…so I shall get to it. Excited to see what the Lord has in store for me this day. Rest in the love of our God – all ye His saints.

Espresso Girl

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…it is a Wednesday morning and I am back at work for the first time in almost two weeks and yes it does feel odd! I do have my peppermint mocha though, which will make things a bit more deliciously fun this morning. It was great to see Jake and Katie at Starbucks again and it will be good to see my work friends again as soon as they bother showing up here. But for now, I’m looking at the approximately 215 emails that await my attention and I can only sigh. It will definitely be an interesting day, of that I have no doubt. Still – my vacation in Florida was marvelous and maybe at some point I can write more about it but for now I’m going to buckle down and get to work. (but first sip a bit more of my peppermint mocha)

Little Frisky

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Hello friends – happy Monday!! You may ask why am I writing this post in the middle of the day on a Monday? Well – I guess I’ll confess that I’m not at work…still on Thanksgiving vacation here in Florida here!! This is my last day in Florida before I fly back Houston way tomorrow morning. While I’m sad to leave Florida home – I am looking forward to seeing Houston friends again! Julie graciously agreed to pick me up from airport so I’ll see her tomorrow morning…and then hopefully catch up with various other peoples throughout the week.

Anyways – I know I said in my last post(on Thanksgiving!) that I’d try to write more later that day. Well, you can see I failed miserably at that objective. Alas. It’s funny, you would think that on vacation I’d actually have more time to write…but it tends to happen that I just can’t make myself step away from the family and write because I don’t want to waste the time I have with them by going off on my own with my computer!

And now that I’ve tried to actually write a bit while Dad is off swimming…he has just returned and now it’s time to go off to Five Guys for final Florida lunch. It shall be awesome. Will try(!!) to write more later this afternoon in my continued chronicle of this break…

Love you all.

Taffy

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A short post just now! I sit down here at the computer here in the family room…minutes away from Thanksgiving dinner time. Stuffing is in the oven, turkey and mashed potatoes and asparagus and cranberries and cherry pie and apple pie await…and Mom is currently pouring the wine. A fine turkey dinner awaits – and I very much doubt any of it will taste like sand! (Wrinkle in Time reference, for you uninitiated…) The Minnesota/Detroit game is on TV, but we aren’t really watching that, as we’re all far more excited for upcoming dinner! I shall attempt(if I find time) to write a more proper Thanksgiving post at some point today…but for now, this will have to do. I am ever so thankful to my God for all that He has given me – blessings immeasurable!! Every good and perfect gift comes from our Father God – may I ne’er forget that. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Fluffy

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And so I return to this posting apparatus, though not as quickly as I thought when I wrote last post. It is now Thanksgiving Eve and I sit with my mug of coffee here, about to do some more reading…but thought I should continue my chronicle first, while it is still fresh in my mind! I must say as I type this, I am much enjoying the Tampa home keyboard…it is very mechanically responsive and fun to type on. Much more bouncy than my laptop keyboard, I approve. This may or may not contribute to my being even more verbose than usual…apologies in advance.

Anyways! I think I ended my last post talking about game night with Laura and Caisson and friends and getting to bed far too late. Thankfully the next morning we were able to sleep in a little…had some coffee together, then we went out to get breakfast(/brunch?) at one of their favorite breakfast spots – a diner that had definitely not been around when I was in Gainesville! Actually…this was a running theme throughout my time in Gainesville…so much had changed since my residency there, even though it’s been less than nine years. Whole new roads had appeared and new shopping centers and other things have replaced woods and fields(my favorite open field at corner of University and 13th is now a shining uber-modern apartment complex – the horror!). Progress(in shape of concrete and steel) marches on unimpeded by more poetic concerns…

Pardon that interlude – but onward! We had a lovely time eating breakfast(I had a delicious breakfast pie with eggs and cheeses and meats and it was wonderful alongside the good strong coffee) and of course talking. We had so much good talking times throughout this trip that I shall soon neglect to mention them, but just know they happened because Laura and Caisson are truly both so dear. Following breakfast, I’m trying to remember what we did next…if I recall correctly, it was a trip to campus! We spent a few hours wandering the gameday-crowded campus, seeing old spots(the Bunker at Graham! the new-(and improved??) Union! the Florida bookstore – I think we spent the most time there perusing random books!) and eventually ending up at Pascal’s Coffeehouse. Oh Pascal’s – truly the holder of so many memories. I even have an old adolescent lit story I wrote back in ’09 where this coffeehouse was featured prominently. And I am actually wearing one of their shirts as I write this now, randomly! Anyways – it was great fun being there again, walking past the table where Laura remembered first getting a text from Caisson, peeking into the room where so many good Creekside College Ministry Wednesday night meetings were held…and eventually, we got some drinks(a hybrid London-fog/peppermint mocha for me!) and ended up talking there for a while, the three of us. Expounding on the power of poetry and the characteristics it should contain. Caisson has a good “Three Laws of Poetry” summary that I really need to heed when I’m writing. I have discovered that I’m not really that good in presenting a clear and easily understandable theme to my audience in my works. I may know what’s there, but the readers most definitely do not always understand what I’m getting at! But I shall not attempt to summarize our whole conversation here.

Eventually, it was time to part ways…for I had told Laura and Caisson that I had wanted to spend a few hours by myself. These hours that I spent wandering campus…I don’t know if I can fully and properly put them to page here as it is something maybe best left to my heart and soul alone. But I had long desired to undertake what I have now called a pilgrimage back to the lands of my youth. And so I did walk through campus, stopping at the sites of so many hallowed memories. At each spot I was able to sit and reflect and think and meditate and pray on what God has done in me and for me and through me these past years. And as I brought back many memories…some bitter and some sweet…I could not help but thank my Father God for holding me fast throughout every dark night and every raging storm. I was able to write various things in my little notebook throughout this pilgrimage and while I shan’t reproduce them all here(partly because they’re very crude and quickly written and not at all amenable to proper editing and partly because I want the majority to remain truly personal), I will put down one…

Lake Alice
gleams prettily
in glow
of setting sun –
its quiet beauty
thrills my soul.
A heron rests
atop the stillness.
I shiver
at the
crickets’ song.

That is the least emotional(and/or personal) so I think it’s ok for sharing here!

Now eventually I realized that even over two hours of walking around by myself was not sufficient for my purposes…but I knew I must return to Laura and Caisson’s place for dinner! Laura came and picked me up and after a quick detour to Target(where asparagus and…er…the long desired new Taylor album reputation were acquired), we returned to the apartment. Caisson was in the middle of crafting a delicious Guinness-beef stew..full of beef and carrots and onions and parsnips and other savoury ingredients. This was poured over mashed potatoes and it was definitely a proper and hearty dinner! After we enjoyed that, we eventually decided a quiet movie night was in order. It may have taken us a while to decide on a movie, but eventually we did settle on an old classic I’d never seen before…10 Things I Hate About You and it was much enjoyed – full of classic Shakespeare references and fun 90s nostalgia! I do so love fun high school movies from my era and this is a well-deserved classic…Heather Ledger and Julia Stiles..simply perfect.

Now…this entry is far too long and I’ve decided to end it for the now. Going to go off with my coffee and have more reading time. Also listening to some classic hymns(And Can It Be currently playing) and I just can’t focus on writing anymore. Peace and love.

Muffy

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I really don’t have long to write so my fingers must fly! I may come back and edit this post later this afternoon, we shall see…anyways, I’m soon off to pick up Katheryn from the airport and have a nice catch-up lunch with her! I haven’t seen her since…a few years ago at Laura(once Garrow, now Helmly!)’s wedding. So – a proper face-to-face conversation is due and eagerly awaited! So that gives me approximately ten minutes to chronicle the past few days here in Tampa(also Gainesville). Hm.

Anyways! Yes I am in Tampa – arrived last Thursday morning…Dad picked me up and it was simply wonderful seeing him again(for first time since my surgery back in August – so very glad to get to properly talk with him now!). I was quite exhausted from my last few nights in Houston(in which I did a simply terrible job in going to bed at all on time…especially the last Wednesday night in which hot chocolate and good conversations figured prominently!). Anyways, I got some good naptime in on Thursday afternoon and then Mom came home and we had great times all together – a delicious homemade spaghetti dinner. Nothing better than Mom’s spaghetti. True?

And so that night ended with more lovely conversations with parents(and watching a bit of the Steelers/Titans football game!) and soon enough I woke up on Friday morning and embarked upon my Gainesville adventure! It’d been over a year(and a half?) since I’d been in Gville – so a return was due. I got to stay with Laura and Caisson for the whole weekend and it was amazing!!! On way up, listened to my classic eyes closed, Heart Open – I’d forgot how good that CD was. Then arrived at their apartment in Gainesville…got to hang out with Caisson and chat for a few hours – then Laura came home from work – hurrah! We had a delectable dinner of cube steak and mashed potatoes…though we did have to eat a bit quickly since they’d planned a game night with friends. The game night was amazing even though I didn’t know any of their friends – I’d heard some of their names but now I got to meet them and talk with them! – and so the evening was full of fun games(Four on a Couch, Code Names, Avalon…oh Avalon – what a web of lies and deceit and laughter do you weave…) and yummy Laura-made chocolate sheet cake and I have to say I’ve almost never had a more fun game night – Laura and Caisson have pretty cool friends, I must admit! When the last people left after the last cutthroat game of Avalon(in which me and Laura assassinated Merlin to win my first Avalon game of the night, hah!)…we wondered why were so tired then realized it was 12:20 and it was probably bedtime. Yup, quality game night indeed.

Now…I think I really need to roll off so I shall attempt to either finish this post later or maybe just write another one to further chronicle my Gainesville adventures…

Christy Road

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So a Wednesday slowly rolls to a close. I sit here on the couch eating my yogurt post-workout…and soon about to have my yummy fish & mashed potatoes dinner! But briefly…thought I’d write a few words on my last night here in Houston for a while! Tomorrow morning I fly off to Tampa for a Florida Thanksgiving holiday and it shall be wonderful, I do declare. I am tired though…it’s been a long few days. Today had a busy day at work prepping for my departure – it did start off beautifully though, chatting with Jake and Katie at Starbucks and saying goodbye to them. Then had a nice random chat in the break room with Jacqui before work started(talking about how there is so many more important things in life than our jobs!). The rest of the day was busy but it went smoothly and soon enough I was back home…now think I’m going to have dinner and then probably go to EQ to join John there for a bit.

And tomorrow – Florida bound. Hope you all are enjoying a marvelous evening. Peace and love!

Golden Age

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Lovely weekend and not enough time to fully describe it as I enjoy my mocha americano this beautiful morning as the fresh light begins to seep in the windows but I shall at least mention the wonderful capstone of last night in which myself and Emily and Erica went and watched a showing of Casablanca at cinema and oh it was so wonderful seeing one of my all time favourite movies on the big screen with loads of other people and just being able to enjoy it as we laughed at the funny parts(mostly all of Claude Rains’ lines!) and enjoyed the deeply romantic and movingly patriotic themes woven throughout(and something I realised just now as I looked up the cast is how many of the actors are non-Americans which surely contributed to its emotion for so many of them were refugees from war-torn Europe and were from countries such as Russia and France and Austria-Hungary and Germany and some of them were Jewish and even had family members in concentration camps and so the emotion you see in this film in certain scenes is far from faked) and as I write this I realise it is only one sentence so far so I am determined to keep it that way and also have decided to finish sentence sans commas and it will be magnificent(my apologies) but I suppose I must confess the best part of the night was the conversation I had with Emily and Erica after the movie in the parking lot in which we discussed many things but all of them honestly and deeply and my heart was much encouraged by them and now I suppose I really shall close this sentence as it is far too long(but I think rather successful in its lack of commas) but wanted to share a few words that have been haunting my thoughts these past few weeks and been keeping me stuck in the same chapter for quite a while now and this not at all a bad thing and so as I sat on my couch this morning with blanket wrapped around me and read these words yet again just know how my soul was warmed and enlightened by the truth and by my regenerated heart understanding that these words are Real in the sense that little else is:

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit
of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though
the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of
righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
-Romans 8:9-11(oh what beautiful words – we are indwelt by the very Spirit of God)

Blast

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I have to say, it is a bit silly how much the weather affects my mood! And I’m weird, because the weather today probably didn’t positively affect anyone else the way it did me. As I drove home today I gloried in the ever-changing grey sky…and then walking to my car after shopping at Sprouts, realised why I was so pleased with the weather. It was cold, grey and there was a hint of precipitation on the breeze. In other words…Aberdeen weather. So yes, grey and cold and wet makes me nostalgic and makes me happy all at the same time and it is wonderful. I don’t know what it is about a darkening grey November sky though…there’s something faintly sad yet achingly beautiful about it. The trees are just starting to threaten to drop their leaves and the breeze softly caresses my face and my blood quickens. Beauty and wonder and love, all wrapped up in a crisp fall day. Oh how silly am I to revel so in this quiet grey evening. But I do love it so.