August 3, 2009
Family Vacation
We’ve been back for almost three weeks and it’s just a little bit late to be posting stuff about our vacation, but we had such a wonderful time, it would be a shame to go without chronicling it. For those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you already saw what we were up to in real time. You already know we traveled there on July 4th and about our trip to Pacifica where we ate Gorilla Barbecue (made with real gorillas-NOT). You already know about the fireworks in Berkeley and brunch with the Summers at Berkeley’s first “green” café. You know that as much as I love my new grand-dog, she stinks when she rolls in another dog’s poo! And the blackberry picking trip and the Eucalyptus trees… and that was all before Molly arrived (with her parents of course)!
It was a terrific visit. It was so good to get away from the busy-ness of life and just relax. Berkeley itself is such a great place to visit. In some ways it’s like stepping back to another time for me. It’s a walking friendly city and not so friendly for driving. Erin & Justin live just a couple of blocks from UC, downtown and the BART. I absolutely loved walking around town. Jeanie and I enjoyed brunch at a little cafe one morning where Handel’s Water Music reminded us to relax, we were on vacation. We strolled through shops and bookstores. Such a relaxing, fun time.
I read a whole book! It felt so good to read a fairly sizable book in a week. Galileo’s Daughter was a stirring account of Galileo’s life including much about his run-in with the Church, but also about his relationship with his family–especially his oldest daughter, (many of her letters to her father still exist). The story of his life, the scientific and historical setting was fascinating. The stirring came from my own experience and how his story reminded me of my own. I’m finding that the importance of reading for me is not so much from the “lessons” I learn from others, but from the stirrings I feel and explore based on the reading. Galileo’s experience was tremendously important in history, but it is history. I am alive today and I’m no Galileo. I don’t want to be Galileo, but his story stirs me in many ways. Those stirrings are about the way I am “wired up”. The more I explore and reflect on those stirrings, the better I’ll understand who God has made me to be. (The phrase I just wrote rubbed me the wrong way, so much so that I almost re-worded it. I made it sounds like it’s all past tense. As if the work of creation is done and my role is merely to figure out the puzzle that is me. I believe that I am uniquely equipped to be the best Jim Anderson I can be. The more I understand who I am, the more effective I will be. But at the same time, I’m still a work in progress. I’m still being influenced every day by the world I live in. I still have a lot of growing up to do.
When the Ogrens arrived we did some touristy things like visiting the sea lions at Pier 39 and driving up to Muir Woods and the Marin Headlands. Mark’s brother Jake and his new bride, Ashley joined them and they headed to Napa Valley for a day trip. While they were gone, Erin and Jeanie went off to get their toes done and Justin and I walked around town. I talked about my stirrings from the book and Justin shared some of his thoughts. I felt like the two of us connected on a whole new level, which I enjoyed tremendously.
Molly was a real princess. We had so much fun watching her grow. She has just learned to clap. Danae said she was imitating us because we would clap and call out, “Yeah… Molly!” which made her clap. Actually, what I think she was learning was manipulation. She learned that by merely touching her hands together, she could turn these big people into silly clowns. She enjoyed her first carousel ride and her first swing on the playground. If they gave out awards for best traveling baby, she would have won hands down. 
Be sure to check out the photo of her sleeping on the plane in the slide show!
I think all of us would agree that this was just about a perfect trip. The weather was cool and sunny and the dispositions were mostly cheery. We spent a little more money than we intended, but that’s to be expected on a vacation. I hope you enjoy the photo slide show below. It was so hard to narrow down the hundreds of great photos to a somewhat manageable size, but it was worth it.
June 29, 2009
Twenty Eight Years of Danae
It’s kinda fun to hear my kids talk about how they feel so old. Imagine how old I must be if my baby is 28 years old! Danae was the one who first called me Daddy. When I think of her as a little girl, so many little stories pop into my mind. One evening carrying her on my shoulders when she was just about 2 years old, she said, “I see the moon. I find the moon!” It’s one of those things that I remember fondly, but I could never in a million years explain why. If you don’t get it, just roll your eyes and move along.
One of my favorite Danae stories was when she was about 5 or 6. I was looking closely into her face and scolding her about something. Our eyes were locked so I could sense that she was experiencing the fear and respect I desired. After a minute or so of fussing, she just crossed her eyes. She was no more listening to me than the man in the moon. I burst out laughing and asked her how in the world I was supposed to be upset with her when she did things like that. Jeanie and I struggled with how to punish Danae. She didn’t mind at all when we sent her to her room. We could put her in time-out on her bed by herself with no books or toys and she would be just fine with it. It was not at all unpleasant for her. She had (and still has) such an active imagination!
Danae has been such a joy in my life. She and I share so much in common that it is scary sometimes. Not too long ago, we were riding in her car and she played a piece of music for me from the movie, Hook. She was pointing out some complex harmonic elements and how they reminded her of something. I understood her and I heard it too. Then I heard something in the music that reminded me of Stravinsky. When I said so, she heard it too. I don’t know that we had ever connected so completely about music as we did that day.
My role in Danae’s life has grown from being her “daddy” to her friend and coach. I love it when she calls to tell me what’s going on, to ask for my advice or just to vent about something. Now that she’s the mom of my granddaughter (did you think I could write a blog about Danae without mentioning Molly), and such a terrific mom! It just gets better and better.
Happy Birthday Danae. I love you so much. I am so very glad that I get to be your dad.
June 28, 2009
RIP Billy Mays
Can you believe all the recent celebrity deaths? Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and I just got an email from CNN Breaking News stating that pitchman, Billy Mays died today. Since I’m not much of a TV person and I despise commercials, I honestly have never heard of the guy before today. I looked him up on Wikipedia, where they had a link to his Twitter page. I thought it might be interesting. What does a guy tweet about when he’s nearing the end of his life?
- Just had a close call landing in Tampa. The tires blew out upon landing. Stuck in the plane on the runway. You can always count on US Air. – Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:01:09
- Getting ready to fly back to Tampa from Philly. Monday is the big day (HIP REPLACEMENT NO.3) Keep you posted. – Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:40:05
- Just got done shootong a new product with my production company 4 Blind Mice. – Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:28:57
- Just finished up a brand new oxi-clean show in Jersey. On my way to Princeton to meet with Arm and Hammer and then to Philly and then hi … – Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:59:26
- Just got done with the Tonight Show. Had a great time. The episode airs tonight – Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:21:04
- Just got to Conan’s studio. About to go to the pre-pro meeting. – Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:47:53
- Happy Fathers day. Just relaxing with my wife and daughter in Boca. One more show tomorrow and then Conan on Tuesday. – Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:45:59
- I am attempting my most dangerous demo to date. I am about to repair a scuba divers puntured air hose and bring him safely back from the … – Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:02:03
- Today is the Big Mighty Brand Shoot. Keep you posted. – Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:36:19
- One commercial down two to go. Tomorrow is the big one the brand new Mighty Product and this one will be the Mightiest of them all I gua … – Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:32:20
- Was just on the .MJ Morning Show live with my son and brother inlaw Dan promoting Pitchmen – Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:26:29
- On my way to Boca Raton to shoot
- . . .
So the guy was clearly living an extraordinary life… a bit strange, but by definition, extraordinary is not ordinary. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but I felt a bit let down. Couldn’t he have left us with some words of wisdom? Didn’t he know his time was up? If this sounds disrespectful, I do not mean it to be. I think it is interesting how little we talk about the one thing we all have to look forward to. We don’t know when our time is up, but we all know it will be one day.
I have lots of questions about what the end of life is like in general and what it will specifically be like for me. When someone dies, I think to myself, “Now they know.” For me, I will be adding a new question to my list… “What will my Twitter page look like when I’m gone?”
June 3, 2009
31 Years
I am connected to so many varied circles of people and it occurs to me that most of them only know that part of me that connects me to them. My neighbors know me as the guy with the near perfect lawn (sure). My church friends know me as the irritating guy that won’t stop asking questions. My musician friends know me as the guy who hardly plays anymore. My work friends know me as the guy who gets things done at work (or not 🙂 ). My running buddies know me as the slow old man. Drew knows me as the webmaster (see Danny’s Ride). My kids know me as their flawed dad who loves them dearly.
But there’s one who knows me better than anyone else. She’s the one who puts up with me when I’m in a bad mood. She tolerates my musical taste. She listens to me whether I’m dreaming up one of my crazy schemes or overwhelmed with the problems of life. She laughs at my jokes (sometimes). She knows my vulnerabilities and my hot buttons. She not only knows I am broken but knows how broken I am, and she loves me in spite of it all.
I was moved to tears last Saturday as I read these words of Ruth Bell Graham (wife of Billy Graham) writing about her 64 years of marriage…
“We have often said that we would not choose to go back to some of the early days of our marriage. Too often, early love is a mirage built on daydreams. Love deepens with understanding, and varying viewpoints expand and challenge one another. So many things improve with age. Those who abandon ship the first time it enters a storm miss the calm beyond. And the rougher the storms weathered together, the deeper and stronger real love grows.”
Thirty one years is not nearly long enough. I’m thinking we should give it 31 more, just to see if we are compatible. What do you think, Sweetie?
May 29, 2009
Mollypops and the Rain
It was rainy all weekend when Molly came to visit. On Sunday I took her out on the porch where I introduced her to the rain. It was so very cool to see her scanning everything around her and taking it all in; the sound of the gentle rain, the smells, the splash of the raindrops as they hit the ground… we even stepped out and felt the wetness of the rain. With the inspiration of Danae, I even made up a little rain song for her.
While we sat there I explained it all to her. I told her that she wouldn’t remember our time together, but I would. I got Danae to take this picture (and now I have a blog post) to make sure I won’t forget. I began wondering what difference it really does make. I feel certain that Mollypops time matters. I am just sure that sitting quietly watching the rain and singing a little song makes a positive impact in her life, but how specifically? It isn’t as if this is the kind of thing one can do an experiment to determine. I can’t love up on her in one life and neglect her in another life and then compare the results. It makes me wonder… Does this kind of time help a 5 month old shape her values in life. Will she like the rain because of our Mollypops rain time? Did she actually did learn some things about the world from our time? There are so many things that I know, but I don’t know how I know them. Where did I learn them? How old was I? Is this how one receives that kind of learning?
Although I can’t be sure how it specifically matters to Molly, I can tell you that our time together impacts me in a deeply. While we were together on the porch, I felt a warmth and a real sense of purpose. I am feeling it now as I remember. I have a sense that it really matters. I dearly love being the grandpa.
May 26, 2009
Twenty Three Years Ago
Twenty three years and a few months ago, Jeanie and I got a surprise. We thought we were going to be a family of five, but Jeanie got sick… morning sick! I remember how overwhelming it felt to know that I was going to be responsible for not three, but four children. At that time we had three little girls ages 4, 2 and 1. 
Life was pretty much overwhelming all the time. It’s strange how clearly I remember feeling afraid that I wouldn’t be able to handle raising 4 children. I was really scared! But I handled it the way I handled everything. Quietly. I decided that my family needed me to be the leader and I I could and would be the dad of four children and with God’s help, we’d be ok. (This is going to sound cheesy, but it is true). When I resigned myself that we were going to be a family of six, I felt the Lord speak to my heart. He told me that this child would be very special to me.
On May 26th, 1986, Leah Kathryn entered our life. From the beginning she was different from her sisters. While her sisters loved all the girlie toys and dressing up as princesses, Katie loved playing with cars, putting on big boots and helping me in the yard. When she was a little older, she helped me with my instrument repair business. She would take the instruments apart and clean them so I could do the repairs on them. She was a great help to me. I don’t know how much of her differences were built in to her DNA and how much was due to her determination to be her own person. Whichever it was, Kat is a copy of no one. She is her own person.
If I had only one word to describe her, I would say that Kat is tenacious. I’ve heard it said that there are three kinds of people in this world… Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what just happened. Kat makes things happen. She sees things that others miss. She understands how things work and that frequently frustrates her because things frequently don’t work very well. As Kat helps to fix things that bother her, the world becomes a better place for us all.
The more I get to know Kat, the more I see a wonderful, compassionate woman who cares so much about others. Kat is a great listener. Her friends and family know they can trust her with their secrets and she helps us work through things more than she knows. What a gifted and beautiful person! When God spoke to my heart that this little girl would be special to me, I didn’t have any idea just how special she would be. After 23 years of her special presence, I can truly say to her, “Kat, I love you dearly. I am so glad I get to be your dad.” Happy Birthday!
April 18, 2009
Fifty one Years Ago
Fifty one years ago today a beautiful, young and very pregnant woman gave birth to a baby boy. She and her husband (the boy’s father) loved the boy and cared for him like good parents do. They gave him food and shelter and love. They made sure that he was brought up in a Christian home. Every Sunday they took him to church. In fact, the boy cannot ever remember just sleeping in on a Sunday.
He grew up big and strong and one day he left and started a life of his own. Eventually, the boy had children of his own and in the process of caring for his own children, he began to understand some of the difficulties that come with being a parent. Now that his children are all on their own, the boy has a depth of thankfulness that he could never have experienced as a youngster. There’s just no way to explain those kinds of things to a little guy. He doesn’t have the years of experience. He only has what experience he has lived. As much as the parents want him to learn from their experience, there are so very many limitations on that kind of understanding. The boy learns best from his own experience… the hard way!
Now, the boy is a grandparent and more thankful than ever! As he looks back from his 51 year old perspective, he wants to say, thank you to his parents. Thanks for giving him life. Thanks for taking care of him, loving him and doing your best to shape him into the person God made him to be. He knows that he has let you down many times. He remembers hurting you. He wishes he could redo so many things from the past. Alas, he understands better than ever how this show only has one performance with no rehearsals.
Despite all his regrets, the boy is happy. He is glad to be alive and glad to be who he is. Sure, there are many things he would like to change, but when he is honest, he realizes that there is no one else in the entire world that he would rather be. I think that’s pretty cool.
April 13, 2009
Danny’s Ride
Most of my friends know I am a musician. A lot of people have influenced me (musically) through the years. None more than a band director from my high-school years, Danny Leonard. Danny had (and still has) a music school in Charleston, SC where I grew up. My junior year of high-school, I joined the school. As a member of the school, I took private music lessons and was part of the concert band and the jazz dance band. Every year we had a week long intensive music summer camp, took a tour and made a record. What a wonderful experience!
Danny was an exacting and demanding music director. One of my favorite memories (although it was terrifying at the time) was how he would occasionally stop the rehearsal abruptly and point to someone and ask them to sing the part of another section in the band… usually when you were playing too loudly. So I and the rest of the trombone section would be playing our parts proudly and loudly only to have him stop the band, point and ask one of us to sing the flute part. The flute part! Are you kidding? You mean those quiet little woodwinds way over on the other side of the room!? He wanted each of us to be able to hear the whole piece; to be aware that our part wasn’t everything. There was actually other music happening right in the same room. What a great life-lesson! Each part is important, but the music of the band is all the parts together. I could tell you a hundred more stories just like this one.
Last November, Danny and I met at the new music school and caught up on more years apart than I care to admit. I learned that in recent years Danny had not one, but two battles with cancer and beat it. If you have ever met Danny, you know that he has a passion that just draws others in. As he told me about his plans to make a second bike ride across America to raise awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I was hooked and ready to join him. I offered to help by creating a web site for the trip. I’m happy to say that they web site is live and the trip begins next week!
Please check it out and subscribe to join me in following their progress as they journey from San Diego, CA to Charleston, SC. If you are in Charleston this Friday night (April 17th), check out the Blues Brew & BBQ send off bash.
April 12, 2009
He is risen
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
May the risen Christ change us in a very real way beginning today. May we truly begin to love people they way he loves us.
April 6, 2009
Melody
Twenty six years ago today, a young lady named Melody joined our family. She was the second of what would eventually be our four daughters. When she and her sisters were little girls, I created a folder for each of them in the filing cabinet. Sometimes, like tonight, I pull them out in order to remember. Melody’s is the thickest folder because of the way she has always lived out loud. She frequently wrote what she was feeling on notes and gave them to us. Most of the ones to Jeanie or me were “I love you” notes… sometimes they expressed her displeasure at the way we were running things. Regardless, I will treasure these forever.
The more I get to know her, the more I see a beautiful person with unique and incredible gifts and talents. She has persevered through undergrad and is now working her way through Medical school. Yes, medical school! Melody is going to be a doctor! And I am sure she will be a great doctor! Her artistic creativity, her ability to communicate and to understand difficult scientific topics combined with her tenacity, value for authentic integrity and compassion will take her far.
I love you, Melody. I am so glad I get to be your dad. Happy Birthday!
Dad
Jimazing Thoughts 
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