Last year at this time I was a few counties over from Punxsutawney Phil, leading a worship conference in western Pennsylvania. I was able to witness the hysteria brought on by the Groundhog Day festivities at Gobbler’s Knob first-hand, via local cable T.V.. Phil is a rock star, by the way.

Groundhog Day, rooted in a German superstition, and started as a small gathering in 1887, is a very serious event in Punxsutawney, PA. Local folks–even thrill-seekers from all over the country–come to witness the spectacle. The event is organized by a group of leaders called “The Inner Circle.” The members of this elite group are powerful folks. They dress in 19th-century garb and, again this week, gathered around Phil’s house, agitated him until he appeared, and a small child was sure she heard him say, “As I look at the crowd on Gobbler’s Knob, many shadows do I see. So six more weeks of winter it must be!”

Anyway, Phil (or some other critter who looks just like him) made a 7:25 AM appearance yesterday morning to give us six more weeks of winter. Hey, the temperature lately is in the mid-sixties–I’ll take six more weeks of this balmy Tennessee weather!

After the doughnut carts and coffee venders folded up shop, and the crowds headed home, a tinge of disappointment surly lingered in the hearts of Punxsutawney’s citizens. They were in the spotlight once again for fifteen minutes. Now, like Phil, it’s time to get back to life as usual.

According to records, Phil’s forecast is accurate only about 39% of the time. He fails as a whether man…but who cares?  Groundhog Day organizers expected about 15,000 to 18,000 visitors this year, and that promises to bring a bounty of revenue to Gobbler’s Knob.

I’ve got to lose some serious poundage. In the past three decades I have lost weight through a myriad of programs. Recently I found myself caught in the vortex of uncertainty until I made my final decision.

Lately I have have been a bread-eating machine after we found an ample supply of killer sourdough from our local market—I have stuffed my face with it daily. That was just the tip of the iceberg…

After falling off the wagon of my 2010 weight loss, I ended up in a deadly “eat whatever I see” behavior pattern. It wasn’t like I was literally eating furniture or small animals on a whim, it was just a lack of discipline and ignoring the cost of irresponsible eating.

So I wrestled with which weight loss method to use. I believe in the Weight Watcher’s philosophy of counting calories, but I also had to make a big change with my love affair with starch.

I lost 60 pounds in ’04 with a low carb approach, so that’s what I have been doing for two weeks now.

I do miss my starches, but a thinner “me” is much more attractive! Please pray for me as I attempt to create a more healthy lifestyle. I feel for you guys out there who are doing the same!

I’m looking forward to visiting friends and family on our next trip to California in June. As a native of southern California, I have always been curious about it’s history, people, geography and interesting places to visit.

While on a visit to my old stomping grounds in Orange County a few years ago, I told my cousin about a show I love back home on our Nashville PBS station called “Tennessee Crossroads.” My cousin suggested I check out their local show called “California’s Gold, ” one that sounded very similar to “Crossroads.” I immediately went to the internet and found listings for “Gold’s” current showtimes, along with a bio of it’s host, Huell Howser.

It’s obvious that Howser isn’t from California at all (it’s not difficult to figure out after hearing his Southern drawl). According to the bio, his television career began here in Nashville at WSM-TV.  While a reporter for WSM, he began a series of “human interest” stories presented during daily news broadcasts. His segments highlighted interesting people and places in and around middle Tennessee; he became
extremely popular.

Howser  later moved from his native Tennessee to join WCBS-TV in New York City. He migrated to Los
Angeles in 1981 to work as a reporter for KCBS-TV. Then in 1987 he joined the public television station KCET/Los Angeles to produce a series of short programs featuring the stories of people from all walks of life throughout “The Golden State.” The show morphed into “California’s Gold” and has been going strong ever since.

It all makes sense now. “Tennessee Crossroads,” one of my favorite weekly shows, has sort of a connection to my home state. As a fairly new resident of middle Tennessee (going on 11 years), I want to learn all about this area. In fact, my family on both sides originated from middle Tennessee. My Great Grandmother was born in the very county where I live today. Like Howser, “Tennessee Crossroads” host Joe Elmore has a folksy demeanor and skillfully draws the viewer into each week’s show.

I never plan on leaving Tennessee. But when I visit California, I know I’ll be tuning into “California’s Gold” every chance I get.

Creative people like myself tend to see the big picture. A weakness that goes along with creativity is many times failing to break-down the facts before we set out on a journey. Questions like: “how much time will this take?” and “what will it cost?” seem to be eclipsed by our excitement.

I watched a special on Oprah Winfrey’s network the other day. Morgan Freeman gave his life story in what is entitled, “Master Class.” I believe Freeman’s journey is a lesson in listening closely to the messages God gives us through our everyday circumstances.

One of the most important things he said was that while all of his actor friends seemed to pull out ahead of him in their own careers, he learned that his career was moving at it’s own pace; that even though it seemed slow to him, his career was moving in the right direction and at the right speed. How many of those actor friends ended up earning an Academy Award, or have been honored with a Cecil B. De Mille Lifetime Achievement Award–as he was this past week at the 2012  Golden Globes award ceremony?

I feel that Morgan Freeman’s “testimony,” while not religious, per se, is worth watching. If you are able to catch this extraordinary life story, full of important lessons, please take the time to hunt it down on your T.V. listings and watch it in it’s entirety.

Below is a promotional segment–poignant none the less.

I’ve got a new favorite: strawberry shakes from Sonic. I got home from church Sunday and knew that by day’s end,  I’d have to take a trip to my favorite Spring Hill ice cream place.

I know…shakes are full of calories; full of bad stuff that I shouldn’t allow in my presence–let alone in my belly. But that sweet, creamy, cold concoction can make a gloomy day bright. So I seized the opportunity and, after his nap, invited my dad as an accomplice in my little ice cream scheme.

Pop and I pulled up to Sonic. I leaned out, ordered him a chocolate malt and a strawberry shake for me. After the car hop brought the treats, dad and I sat there listening to the 40s channel on my Sirius XM radio, and promptly finished the drinks.

Sometimes I take little times like this for granted, but not last night. Dad and I had a great time together. He told me of the days, back in the 30s and 40s, when he would order a double-decker hamburger and a malt at the original Bob’s Big Boy restaurant for under a dollar. It’s always fun to catch my dad when the memories flow freely.

There we were in my car, emptying a strawberry shake and a chocolate malt–listening to Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw and the Mills Brothers–watching the rain roll through Spring Hill, Tennessee, on a Sunday evening. Money can’t buy that.